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THE BIRDS 

OF 

OREGONImWASHINGTON 







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A 




4y WILLIAM ROGERS LORD V» 




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COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 




Western Evening Grosbeak. 



A FIRST BOOK 



UPON THE 



Birds of Oregon R•^^ Washington 



A Pocket Guide and Pupil's Assistant in a study of 

most of the Land Birds and a few of the 

Water Birds of these States. 



XHatlllam IRogers XorD. 



1901 

WILLIAM ROGERS LORD. 

346 Yamhill Street, 
Portland, - Oregon. 



THE LIBRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Co^-fte Rece»ved 

iUN. 26 1901 

COPVft«GMT ENTRY 

/ICLASS OCKXz. N». 

COPY a 






Copyright igoi, by VVilliajn R. Lord. 
All rights reserved. 



% • • • 

* • 



•••..'.".•• 

.•..••'•:.•••. 



llie Irivin-Hodson Co., Portland, Or. 
Printers and Binders. 



V^ 



^bi6 Moo\\ 

IS DEDICATED TO ALL BIRD LOVERS IN THE STATES FOR 
WHICH IT IS PREPARED, ESPECIALLY TO THE 

•*1Rni0bt6 anD XaDies ot the :fi3ir06'' 

IN THE CITIES, TOWNS AND SCHOOLS, WHO 
RECOGNIZE AND HAVE ACCEPTED THE TITLE, AND ALSO 
TO ALL THOSE WHO, THROUGH ITS PAGES, SHALL 
COME TO FIND IN THE BIRDS MINIS- 
TERS OF BEAUTY AND JOY. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER I. 

A Word to Beginners and to Teachers , . . 13 

chapter ii. 
The Birds of Oregon and Washington 17 

chapter iii. 
How TO Know the Birds 22 

CHAPTER IV. 

How Birds are Described in this Book 25 

CHAPTER V. 

How TO Name the Birds 28 

chapter vi. 
Upon Imported Birds 168 

chapter vii. 
How TO Domesticate and Tame Birds 172 



Keys to Assist in Finding the Birds— 

Size Key 183 

Color Key.. . 185 

FAMI1.Y Groupings, with Scientific Names 188 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 



Western Evening Grosbeak Frontispiece 

Topographical Bird. Opposite 24 

Western Meadowlark ** 30 

Audubon's Warbler.. '' 64 

Black-headed Grosbeak. , ** 96 

Varied Thrush '' 128 

Bullock's Oriole *' 160 

Models for Field Observation.. End of Book 



INTRODUCTION. 

When I came to Oregon in the spring of 1899 
from the Northern Atlantic States, I was greatly 
delighted at the strange and beautiful songs of 
some of the birds which, from the morning of 
my arrival, greeted my ear. Afterward, as I set 
about studying and naming these new songsters, 
I encountered an unaccustomed difficulty. 
There are numerous short, simple and helpful 
books for Eastern North America, by the aid of 
which a resident of that section may begin to 
know the birds of his own locality. But I found, 
upon inquiry, that there were none especially 
for this part of the United States. The only 
helps were in the large scientific works of Ridg- 
way, Coues, and others, covering the whole or 
large parts of the United States — and these w^ere 
to be had only in a public library, and when in 
hand were not easy of use. I have, therefore, 
made slow headway in the study of the Birds of 
Oregon. 

To save others, the difficulties I have encoun- 
tered, and to encourage many, I hope, to be- 



come familiar with the beautiful in the form of 
bird-life in this section of the country, I have 
undertaken to supply at least a present demand, 
and furnish something like a First Book upon 
the birds of Oregon and Washington. 

The number of birds included in this little book 
is limited to the purpose for which it is prepared, 
viz: to introduce one to all the common Land- 
birds of this section, except the Game-birds, 
and to a few of the Water-birds. The Game- 
birds are omitted, because it is assumed that 
they are well known by nearly everyone; and 
most of the Water-birds are not given, because 
they are not commonly seen, are limited to 
the coast and waterways, are shy, and do not 
often attract any one except hunters and ad- 
vanced bird-students. A few more than one 
hundred birds are described. 

The book is also limited in that it seeks main- 
ly to help one to become acquainted with the 
birds by sight and song, leaving, for the most 
part, a treatment of the habits of birds, their 
nesting, etc., for later study. 

In the making of this book, I am under ob- 
ligation to a number of friends and bird-lovers 
whose information has been freely given and 
whose criticism of my manuscript has saved me 
from some errors. During the weeks of writing, 

lO 



I was fortunate enough to have as a constant ad- 
viser and critic, Mr. A. W. Anthony, a recog- 
nized authority on the birds of the Coast, from 
Alaska to Central America. Also, Mr. Herman 
Bohlman, of Portland, Oregon, has given me his 
accurate observations of the more local bird- 
life, and Mr. Ross Nicholas, of the same place, 
has been as generous of his store of local bird 
knowledge. 

To Mr. T. Brook White, gratitude is due for 
his labor, under difficulties, in photographing 
the birds, "half-tones" of which appear among 
the pages of the book. 

I want also to acknowledge the help that 
Mr. Charles A. Keeler's book, "Bird Xotes 
Afield'' (for California), has been to me in mak- 
ing this more northern partial directory. I have 
been aided by his excellent descriptive list. Due 
credit has been given him as often as I have 
made use of his work. 

Of course, "Ridgway's ^Manual" has been al- 
ways by my side for reference, while Mr. Chap- 
man's "Bird-Life'' has served me on occasion, 
as he will see, should he take the trouble to look 
into these pages. 

Thanks are due to friends for aid in manu- 
script and proof reading, and in copying. 



In preparing the book, I have had the en- 
couragement and constant assistance of my 
wife. Her deep sympathy with the subject and 
her Hterary sense have rendered her services 
too valuable not to have them recognized in this 
place. 



CHAPTER I. 



A Word to Beginners and Teachers. 



A word to beginners, and also especially to 
teachers in our schools, as to the kind of inter- 
est in birds which should be primarily aroused 
and cultivated. 

I once heard a High School graduate read 
an essay upon Browning's "How They Brought 
the Good News from Ghent to Aix," in which 
that splendid, living and moving poem, after 
being killed, was minutely dissected. The es- 
sayist knew just where Ghent and Aix were 
and just the length of the ride; but of conscious- 
ness of the beauty in and enthusiasm for the 
human struggle so strongly set forth, there was 
not a trace. Such interest in birds and flowers 
we may awaken in others and be led into our- 
selves, when, w^ith the eagerness of a collector 
of stamps or coins, it gets to be a morbid pas- 
sion to catalogue our "finds,'' or to enter a 
rivalry as to who knows the most varieties or 



can tell the most about the birds of our own and 
other localities. Certainly all education should 
tend to ennoble character and furnish the 
sources of the highest happiness. If this be the 
end sought, then a sympathetic and aesthetic 
interest is the thing we must seek to get and 
give, in our pursuit of knowledge of birds. 

Indeed, it is a pursuit fairly dangerous to our 
own possible enjoyment, when we set out wdth 
opera-glass and notebook to name and cata- 
logue the birds, lest we shall be less satisfied 
to listen with exquisite satisfaction to some su- 
perb singer, than to get his description in our 
notebooks. It is not a tithe as important that 
we should know the name and habits of a bird 
as that we should answer his ecstasy of song 
with ecstasy of delight. Dr. Henry van Dyke 
has given us a motto for the societies wdiich 
are opposing the heartless and harmful prac- 
tice of using birds for millinery purposes. It 
is: "A bird in the bush is worth ten in the 
hat." Should not every bird-student have at 
the beginning of his notebook some sentiment 
like this? ''A bird in the heart is worth more 
than a hundred in the notebook." In a w^ord, 
let us, in the study of birds, learn to take more 
time to listen to the beauty of song and to look 
at the beautv of form, of color and of move- 



14 



ment, than to add their names to our Hsts and 
famiharize ourselves with their curious habits. 

It's litUe I can tell 

About the birds iu books ; 
And yet I know them well, 

By their music and their looks : 

When May comes down the lane, 

Her airy lovers throng 

To welcome her with song, 

And follow in her train : 

Each minstrel weaves his part 

In that wild-flowery strain, 

And I know them all again 

By their echo in my heart. 

— Henry van Dyke. 

In this place something must be said about 
the desirability of making collections of birds, 
eggs and nests. 

Let us admit that one such collection for pub- 
lic use in a museum is necessary for each town 
or city. Beyond this we may not go. But, 
with John Burroughs and others, collecting is 
distinctly discouraged in this little book for the 
following reasons: The true interest, as above 
indicated, is a living and sympathetic one. x\nd 
a person imperils this when, for the sake of cab- 
inet-classification, he takes the life of birds, or 
robs them of their offspring, although the off- 
spring is yet in the form of the egg. Such work, 
so far as necessaiy, should be left to the few 
pure scientists, who, if their hearts are right, 



15 



will pursue their object with a deep sense of 
painful necessity, and with the greatest discre- 
tion. 

It is notorious that bird-collectors are apt to 
become perfectly ruthless in their slaughter of 
birds and spoliation of nests — actually strip- 
ping whole localities of every egg and nest of 
certain species. This is the natural consequence 
of substituting an artificial interest for a natural 
and sympathetic one. 

Our love of birds can never be shown by our 
mounted collections any more than our love 
of children could be shown in the same way. 

Then, it is far better to study and identify 
birds in the fields and woods than in a museum. 
The latter is easier, it is true; but it is too easy 
for the true bird-lover. The bird should be 
alive. There is joy in bringing a living, restless 
bird to our eye, and in noting his ''markings" 
and ''placing" him afteiward by means of book 
or key, that cannot be gained when we stand 
in the presence of a labeled, lifeless creature. 
In these days of abundant help from books and 
fellow-students, many may not need to see a 
collection at all. 

Again, if the interest in birds becomes exten- 
sive and is taken up by school-children, as it 
is hoped and expected it will be, and this false 

i6 



interest should be allowed to arise, clearly there 
will not be enough birds, eggs and nests to go 
around. Of course, nests may be taken after 
the breeding season is surely over; but even 
this might awaken a passion for collection that 
would lead to carelessness and undue haste. 



CHAPTER 11. 
The Birds of Oregon and Washington. 



There are no birds that belong to Oregon 
and Washington alone. All of the kinds found 
here are to be seen up and down the Coast this 
side of the Rocky Mountains, within certain ex- 
tended limits. By the ''Birds of Oregon and 
Washington,'' we mean the birds that live in 
this section a part, or the whole, of the year. 
These differ largely from the birds east of the 
Rocky Mountains. There are a great many 
species which are altogether unlike the Eastern 
birds; while some varieties so much resemble 
their Eastern relatives that they seem., to an un- 
trained eye, to be exactly the same. But in the 
varieties which so nearly correspond, there is 
a difference, for the most part, in size, in form. 



17 



in color and in song. The birds on this Coast 
are probably, on the average, larger than the 
same birds over the mountains, and, in general, 
the colors are darker. The difference in hue 
may, perhaps, be accounted for by the fact that 
there is less sunshine here. Some of the cor- 
responding varieties do not sing quite as much 
as do the Eastern birds. Again, birds of corre- 
sponding kinds are not generally so numerous 
here as further east — though some varieties, 
common to both sections, are more numerous 
than in the Atlantic States. Song-birds are 
characteristic of inhabited lands, and multiply in 
proportion to human habitations in country dis- 
tricts. They must have open country, shrubs, 
hedges, deciduous trees of low and high growth, 
and the protection of man. If the Pacific 
States use diligent care, in a few years the song- 
birds of this Coast will be abundant. 

I say above that there are a great many birds 
on this part of the Pacific Coast unlike those 
on the Atlantic. In this book, I have described 
or mentioned something more than one hun- 
dred of the birds of this section. All but six or 
eight are Land-birds, and the list covers all of 
this class that are in any way common. Nearly 
fifty species are peculiar to the Western side 
of our Continent, if, indeed, not confinea entire- 

i8 



ly to this Coast, while half as many more differ 
from the Eastern birds sufficiently to be de- 
scribed in the scientific manuals as ''Western/' 
or by some other qualifying adjective, leaving 
only about thirty, out of the whole number, 
identical with Eastern varieties. 

The lists thus indicatea are given at the end 
of this chapter, under the headings, ''Variety" — 
meaning a variety or species slightly different 
from the Eastern birds — ; "Peculiar,'' — meaning 
quite, or altogether different, — and "Identical," 
— meaning, of course, the same here and there. 

One or two varieties may seem out of place 
under the heading "Peculiar," as, for example, 
the Western Meadowlark; but, as this bird is 
not known east of the Mississippi Valley, and 
seems to me to differ here so greatly in song 
from the one in that region, I venture to put 
it in this list. On the other hand, perhaps, the 
two species of the White-crowned Sparrow — 
the Gambel's and the Intermediate — ought to 
be on the "Peculiar" list, so unlike are they to 
the Eastern "White-crowned Sparrow" in qual- 
ity of song, and especially in the habit of the 
"Gambel's" of singing at night. No doubt some 
changes will be made in these lists by critical 
readers, but the number of birds in each will, 
I believe, remain substantiallv the same. 



19 



In the back of the book will be found a table 
of the birds herein, given in family groups, and, 
for the help of scientific students, with the sci- 
entific names added. A study of the list in this 
chapter and of the family groups will reveal 
more specifically the differences in the birds up- 
on the two sides of the Continent. 



PECULIAR. 



Rusty Song Sparrow. 
Red-shafted Flicker. 
Northwestern Flicker. 
Violet-green Swallow. 
Rufous Hummingbird. 
Brewer's Blackbird. 
Oregon Towhee, or Che- 
wink. 
Vigors's Wren. 
Audubon's Warbler. 
Skylark. 

Streaked Horned Lark. 
Louisiana Tanager. 
Bullock's Oriole. 
Russet-backed Thrush. 
Olive-sided Flycatcher. 
Traill's Flycatcher. 
Western Flycatcher. 
Arkansas Kingbird. 
Cassin's Vireo. 
Hutton's Vireo. 
Anthony's Vireo. 
Lazuli Bunting. 



Western Meadowlark. 

Black-headed Grosbeak. 

Lutescent Warbler. 

Macgillivray's Warbler. 

Black-throated Gray 
Warbler. 

Band-tailed Pigeon. 

Vaux's Swift. 

Black Swift. 

Oregon Chickadee. 

Chestnut-backed Chick- 
adee. 

Slender-billed Nuthatch. 

Bush-Tit. 

Varied Thrush, or Varied 
Robin. 

American Dipper, or 
Water Ouzel. 

Harris's Woodpecker. 

Gairdner's Woodpecker. 

Lewis's Woodpecker. 

Northwest Crow. 

Steller's Jay. 



California Jay. 
Clark's Nutcracker. 
Pinon Jay. 
American Magpie. 
Swainson's Hawk. 
Pygmy Owl. 



Dusky-Horned Owl. 
Glaucus-winged Gull. 
Ring-billed Gull. 
California Gull. 
Western Slate-colored, 
or Summer Gull. 



VARIETY. 



Western Robin. 

Gambel's White-crowned 
Sparrow. 

Intermediate White- 
crowned Sparrow. 

Western Bluebird. 

Western Chipping Spar- 
row. 

Oregon Vesper Sparrow. 

Western Savanna Spar- 
row. 

Western Purple Martin. 

California Purple Finch. 

Parkman's House Wren. 

Western Winter Wren. 

Tule Wren. 

Western Yellow-throat. 

Western Wood Pewee. 



Long-tailed Chat. 

Pileolated Warbler. 

Western Nighthawk. 

Western Golden-crowned 
Kinglet. 

Oregon Junco. 

Western Evening Gros- 
beak. 

California Woodpecker. 

Pileated Woodpecker, 
(Northern). 

Oregon Jay. 

Desert Sparrow-Hawk. 

Western Red-tailed 
Hawk. 

Puget Sound Screech 
Owl. 



IDENTICAL. 



English, or European 

House Sparrow. 
Pine Siskin. 
American Gold-finch. 
Cliff, or Eave Swallow. 



White-billed, or Tree 

Sw^allow. 
Barn Swallow. 
Bank Swallow. 
Rough-winged Swallow. 



Red-winged Blackbird. 

Myrtle Warbler. 

Warbling Vireo. 

Cedar Waxwing. 

Yellow, or Summer War- 
bler. 

Mourning Dove. 

Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 

American Pipit, or Tit- 
lark. 

Belted Kingfisher. 

American Crossbill. 

Redpoll. 



Red-breasted Sapsucker. 

American Crow. 

Great Blue Heron. 

Pigeon-Hawk. 

Sharp-shinned Hawk. 

Cooper's Hawk. 

Short-eared, or Marsh- 
Owl. 

Bald Eagle. 

Golden Eagle. 

■ American Osprey, or 
Fish-Hawk. 

Herring Gull. 



CHAPTER III. 



How TO Know the Birds. 



As the most attractive thing about a bird is 
its song, our first care must be to learn to listen 
to the various beautiful notes of all the different 
birds that ,we may hear in any country place or 
open city spot. 

To learn to really know bird-songs, is to hear 
them without effort and by habit wherever we 
may be and whatever we are doing. A bird- 
lover will hear a score of different songs while 
he talks with a friend, or reads a book; for it 
is one of the delio:hts of one who has come into 



sympathetic touch with bird-hfe that he can 
respond to every sweet song without having his 
attention diverted from his usual tasks. The 
habit of closed ears and heart to this ministry of 
bird-song is characteristic of most people. Some 
of us have sat in a room in June, and have been 
asked by friends whether there were any birds 
about that particular spot, while, with the win- 
dows open, not less than ten varieties of birds 
were pouring their melodies into the unattend- 
ing ears of these people who have never been 
accustomed to listen. 

First, then, learn to listen! Then learn to 
see! 

Birds are beautiful on account of their color, 
though in some kinds it sometimes seems dull 
and even ugly. Beautiful are they, too, in shape 
and in movement. Learn to love all these qual- 
ities, if you would truly know all about the birds. 
There are the nesting fashions that you will, by 
and by, want to watch with sympathetic inter- 
est and helpful attention — sometimes furnishing 
material for the roofless cottage in the tree, as 
you may. But in the beginning your attention 
will most naturally and profitably be given to 
the song and the appearance of the birds. It 
is to help you in taking these first steps that 

23 



this ''First Book upon the Birds of Oregon 
and Washington'' is written. 

How, then, shall you best learn to know birds 
by their songs and their looks? You will learn 
to listen and learn to look by listening and look- 
ing — not alone when you go out to find the 
birds, but when you pass along your usual 
walks, even in the streets of a city as large as 
Portland or Seattle. 

In the bird season, from March into July, 
you need not go far to hear beautiful songs and 
see several varieties of birds. If you are bent 
upon describing and learning the names of the 
birds, go where the birds are, taking with you 
a pair of sharp eyes, and better, even with these, 
a pair of opera or field-glasses. And then go 
slow! 

You should often wait for the birds to come 
to you, while you stand, or sit, near a dead tree, 
or a tree with a dead top, in an open space. In 
an hour, eight or ten varieties have been known 
to visit such a tree for the bird-student. Let 
your movements be quiet as you go about. 
Raise your glasses slowly. A hasty motion will 
frighten the object of your attention. You 
should have a notebook with leaves made some- 
thing after the pattern of the one in the back 
of this book, and put down the best description 



24 



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that you can of the several birds that you see; 
then, by the aid of this book or another, find 
the names of the birds whose size, color, etc., 
you have thus noted. Do not undertake to 
name too many at once. Get thoroughly ac- 
quainted v/ith the looks and the song (if the 
birds have a song) of two or three varieties 
before you anxiously try to place others. It is 
easy to get confused at first. 

The best time of day is, of course, the early 
morning or the late afternoon hours. 



CHAPTER IV. 



How Birds ark Described in This Book. 



Note I. The order in which the birds are 
taken is mainly that of discovery and interest, 
rather than the artificial one of ornithological 
classification. The latter association is left for 
later study. 

After naming each variety of bird, there is 
first given a ''General Description,'' which is in- 
tended to answer to the first more superficial imi - 
pression which one receives of a bird, not hav- 
ing had time to see in detail what it is like. A 
more ''Particular Description" follows, but one 
not too particular or technical for the aid of 



25 



young people, or of those who lack the ability 
to use easily scientific terms. 

Note 2. By ''length" of a bird we mean the 
distance from end of bill to tip of tail, were the 
bird dead and stretched out. The living bird is, 
of course, not so long, and allowance must be 
made. 

In measuring birds by the eye, it is well to 
take for our standards the Robin and the Eng- 
lish Sparrow; and say, for example, ''Two-thirds 
the size of the Robin," or "a little larger" or "a 
little smaller than an English Sparrow," etc. 

Note 3. In order to assist beginners in the 
identification of birds, there will be found at the 
end of the book two "Keys," one for size, and 
one for color for male birds only; the females 
must be recognized through their association 
with the males. 

I give here an example of the manner of us- 
ing the Keys: Suppose you do not know the 
Audubon's Warbler, which is small, length 
5^ inches; soft gray above; with yellow 
crown, yellow side-patches on breast; yellow 
throat and yellow rump; breast, black and white 
streaked. After seeing it and writing down a 
description of the bird, to help your memory, 
look at the "Size Key" and find the birds that 
are "smaller than the English Sparrow," for 

26 



you know that the bird must be in that list. 
That Hst will include tw^enty-three names. Then 
look in the Key for Color for ''Birds Markedly 
Yellovv^ or Orange," and you wall find among 
them only six of the twenty-three in the list on 
size which you have just consulted. The bird 
must be one of the six. Find in the Index, in 
turn, the names of these six birds; then refer 
to the pages where descriptions of these 
birds are given, and in a few minutes you will 
have identified your bird. 

Another example: Suppose it were Steller's 
Jay that you had found; you would look in the 
Key for Size for ''Birds much larger than the 
Robin"; then turn to the Key for Color to the 
list under "Blue and Bluish." 

At the end of the book will be found two 
models for making a notebook for writing down 
descriptions of birds. One, for a "General De- 
scription," to be used when the bird has been 
seen. only in a general and superficial way; the 
other, for a "Particular Description," and to be 
used for more detailed observations. These 
models are followed by a number of blank 
leaves, upon which may be kept the growing list 
of birds as they are learned. They may also be 
useful for other permanent notes, such as notes 
upon migrations, arrivals and departures; upon 



the birds which we see in early or in mid-win- 
ter, etc. 



CHAPTER V. 



How TO Name the Birds. 



Now let us try to name a few more tlian one 
hundred varieties of 'birds to be heard and seen 
in some part of the territory for which this book 
is prepared. 

THE WESTERN ROBIN. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: black head and gray back 
Under parts: rufous or reddish. 
Length: loj inches. 
Found in open country and orchards. 

''Everybody knows the Robin," you will say. 
''Why trouble to tell us anything about him?" 
Do you really know much about him? Are you 
sure you know his song? Not if you think all 
Robins sing alike. They do not, any more than 
all people who sing, sing alike. If you listen 
to the several Robins that you may hear upon 
some fine morning, notice how their voices are 
like human voices in that some are sweeter, far 

28 



sweeter, than others. The Robin belongs to 
the Thrush family, and sometimes one gives us 
what you may recognize for its peculiarly en- 
chanting quality — a Thrush-song. The Robin 
is a ''common" bird, but he is like children — 
not to be despised on that account. The far- 
mers sometimes hate him and kill him as an en- 
emy, being unwilling to allow him the compara- 
tively small pay he asks for the unmeasured 
good he does them in the quantities of harmful 
worms he devours. A pair of Robins sometimes 
take two or three hundred cut-worms in a dav 
for themselves and their young. 

After nesting time, Robins are rovers, and in 
large flocks may be seen in every part of the 
country. 

Particular Description — Head and tail, blackish; 
throat, white, streaked with black; eyelids, white; 
back, gray; breast, rufous or reddish; underneath and 
under tail-coverts white. The young have speckled 
breasts. 

Nearly all Robins are migratory; some spend 
the winter south of Oregon, and some coming 
from further north remain with us. A few may 
be permanent residents. In early February 
the northern migration begins, and an occa- 
sional song may be heard. In March the Rob- 
ins will welcome everv morn and earlv riser. 



29 



THE WESTERN MEADOWLARK. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: brownish-gray. 
Under parts: yellow and black. 
Length, lo inches and more. 
Found in open fields. 

If this part of our country had no bird except 
the Meadowlark, it would be, in respect of bird- 
song, blessed above any other land I know. Such 
a rarely beautiful, endlessly varied and wonder- 
fully incessant singer! No bird anywhere has 
a fuller or richer note; none such variety of 
songs, except, perhaps, the Mocking-bird and 
the Long-tailed Chat; none like this bird 
makes varied and joyous melody in summer and 
in winter, too; in rain, in snow, in cold. Not a 
day in the w^inter of 1900 and 1901, have the 
Meadowlarks upon a hill near Portland failed to 
voice the happiness, or bid depart the gloom, of 
their human neighbors. No one knows the bird 
until he has listened to the many different songs 
that he sings while perched upon tree or fence, 
or again upon a telegraph pole, or even upon 
the ridgepole of a house; nor yet unless he has 
caught a peculiar and most rapturous song 
while the bird is on the wing — a song so unlike 
those we are accustomed to that it seems not 
to have been uttered by a Meadowlark at all. 



30 



f«. 









in 




Weslem Meadozvlark. 



J. 



The variety of the songs of the Meadowlark 
upon this Coast seems hmitless, counting songs 
in different locahties. The birds in one locaHty 
may not exceed twenty varieties of song, but a 
few miles in any direction will add, probably, 
twenty more, etc. I have heard at Forest 
Grove, in Oregon, five new songs from the 
same bird, in the course of twenty minutes, and 
in the suburbs of Tacoma, as many others, in 
the same time, from a Meadowlark there. The 
song goes from a clear, flute-like whistle, 
through distinct and varied melodies, to a bril- 
liant roulade — the latter, as I have before in- 
dicated, being executed upon the wing. 

Ernest Seton-Thompson says of the Meadow- 
lark, in his ''Birds of Manitoba," 'Tn richness 
of voice and modulation it equals or excels both 
Wood Thrush and Nightingale, and in the 
beauty of its articulation it has no superior in 
the whole world of feathered choristers with 
which I am acquainted." This is high praise, 
and yet I suspect that he coula not have heard 
the variety of song in that part of the continent 
which the same bird (as classified by ornitholo- 
gists) gives on this Coast. At all events, the 
Meadowlarks of Minnesota, when I heard them, 
though beautiful, as Mr. Seton-Thompson de- 
scribes them, as far as they went, failed to at- 



31 



tract me by the variety of music that I instantly 
noticed here. 

But his estimation of the quaHty, modulation 
and articulation of the song of the bird that he 
heard, is not overdone, unless, perhaps, we 
ought, in justice, to say of the bird there and 
here that its only blemish as a singer is that 
it usually ends its melody too abruptly. The 
Wood Thrush, to which Mr. Seton-Thompson 
refers, lets its final note melt into the air. Still, 
at times and at a little distance, I have heard an . 
extraordinary singer among our Meadowlarks 
give the effect of the Hermit Thrush of the 
Eastern States — that bird which John Bur- 
roughs calls the most spiritual of singers. 

The Eastern Meadowlark, though almost the 
same as ours in color, size and form, has, in 
comparison, a very thin, though sweet, voice 
and a more unvaried song; it is never seen so 
near human dwellings as is the Western Mead- 
owlark. 

This bird nests in the grass, and early in the 
season. Its young are often on the wing by 
May 25th. 

It should be stated here that the Meadowlark, 
though called a ''Lark," is, properly speaking, 
not a Lark at all, but belongs to the Starling 
family. 

32 















E 



^ 



^ 



s 



^ 



£ 



P rfr Jl^h O ^ 



P 



m 



s 



=^ 






During the past year my wife has written 
down a few of the songs of these birds, heard 
from our window, and seven of them are here 
given by way of suggestion. 

Particular Description — Head back and tail, brown- 
ish-gray, streaked with lighter shade, with a pale line 
down the top of head and another over the eye; all be- 
low, yellow, with a black crescent upon the breast; 
sides, gray, streaked with brown. 

To be found always in farm-fields and in all 
open places about towns and cities. 

To a considerable extent, a permanent resi- 
dent. 

THE WHITE=CROWNED SPARROW. 

General Description — 

Head, with white line in center, with al- 
ternate black and white lines; back, 
yellowish-brown; breast, gray. 

Length, 7 inches. 

Found upon low trees and bushes m open places. 
Nests upon the ground. 

Next to the Western Meadowlark, no doubt 
most people will vote the White-crowned Spar- 
row the most fascinating singer of our North- 
western States. He can be easily named, be- 
cause of the central white or whitish line on his 
head, with alternate black and white lines on 
either side of this distinguishing mark. In the 

33 



Atlantic States the White-crowned Sparrow is 
very rare — is seldom seen and seldom heard. 
But in Oregon and Washington a species of this 
bird is on nearly every bush; and all the spring 
long, and most of the sum_mer through, from 
early morning till night — and even in the 
night — can the exquisite notes of this gentle 
and friendly bird be heard. Often, through the 
darkest nights, in the Virginia creeper or 
honeysuckle around the porch or piazza, he ut- 
ters his plaintive song — seeming to say, as one 
sensitive observer has imagined it: ''Sweet, 
sweet, listen to me, won't you?" 

This bird may be called ''the American 
Nightingale," for surely its night-song has all 
the quiet melancholy that one's imagination 
would attribute to the notes of a bird in the 
hours of darkness. 

There are two slightly different kinds of this 
Sparrow in our States. They are the Gambel's 
and the Intermediate White-crowned Sparrow. 
The former is the common one; the latter is 
rare, but found more frequently as we go 
North. On Puget Sound more will be found 
than in the Willamette Valley. The summer 
habitat of the Intermediate ('Tntermediate," be- 
tween the White-crowned Sparrow proper and 
the Gambel's) is mostly in Alaska; but a few 

34 



remain in our territory for nesting. Most of us 
will take the Gambel's Sparrow for granted, so 
rarely will the Intermediate be seen. But 
around Puget Sound and during migration, 
some will want to distinguish between these 
birds. Their appearance is so slightly unlike 
that one must look closely indeed to tell them 
apart. After hearing the songs of both, it 
seems to me that in this respect the birds may 
readily be distinguished. The usual Gambel's 
song is the one interpreted above into "Sweet, 
sweet, listen to me, w^on't you?" The song of 
the Intermediate is the same in quality and if 
it were the same in form, would be identical. 
But it is irregular, without distinct articulation, 
and can be translated into no definite language. 
The differences in plumage may be gathered 
from the description of the two given in Ridg- 
way's Manual. They seem to be these — the 
white, ashy or buffy median-stripe on the crown 
is, in the Intermediate, as broad, or broader, 
than the other lateral stripes, while in the Cam- 
bers the same stripe is narrower than the other 
lateral stripes. Again, the back of the Cambers 
is a more smoky brown than the back of the In- 
termediate, and the breast a darker gray. But 
the most decidedly definite distinguishing mark 
is this: the inner edg^e of the wing- of the Cam- 



35 



bel's Sparrow is pale yellow, while the edge of 
the wing of the Intermediate is ashy. Both 
have light ashy or bufify lores, which join the su- 
perciliary stripe, instead of distinct black lores, 
as in the White-crowned Sparrow proper. The 
full particular description of the Gambel's 
White-crowned Sparrow is as follows: 

"Edge of wing, pale yellow; white, ashy or buffy 
median crown-stripe, usually narrower than black or 
brown lateral stripes; adult back with smoky brown or 
olive-brown, striped with dark sepia-brown or sooty 
blackish; and chesty brownish-gray." — Ridgway. 

The White-crowned Sparrow of Oregon and 
Washington, as well as the Meadowlark, should 
be known and appreciated by every one. 

A few White-crowned Sparrows spend the 
winter in these latitudes. Most of them pass 
the colder months in California. The return 
migration begins in late March or early April, 
and the songs are soon heard. 

THE WESTERN BLUEBIRD. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: blue. 
Under parts: chestnut. 
Length, 7 inches. 
Found about houses and in the open country. 
What so gentle reminder that spring is at the 
door as the Bluebird by your house in the coun- 

36 



try or suburb, with his soft notes and refined 
air, carrying with him the color of the sky? He 
comes no stranger to your home, if in the .pre- 
vious spring and summer he has found provid- 
ed a small house in which to brood two (some- 
times three) families, according to his success. 
If you wish to invite to the hospitality of your 
home numerous pairs of these gentlemanly and 
ladylike creatures, build for them suitable 
houses. The song of the Western Bluebird is 
not full, but is, like his manners, gentle and 
sweet. 

Particular Description — Male — All the upper parts, 
sky-blue; throaty breast and sides, cinnamon-red; un- 
derneath, white. In autumn, the blue is a rusty wash. 
Female has duller colors. 

The Bluebird m.ay be seen occasionally in the 
winter season, and his arrival from the South is 
like that of the Bluebird of the East, an early 
one, often in the first week of February. 

THE RUSTY SONG SPARROW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: rusty brown. 
Under parts: breast, v/hite, dashed with 
long brown spots, with a larger 
dusky spot in the center. 
Length, 6 inches. 
Found m hedges and low growths. 



37 



Every part of temperate North America has 
a Song Sparrow of some variety. Oregon and 
Washington have one that is distinguished for 
his dark rusty color, except upon his breast, 
which resembles that of the other members of 
the Song Sparrow family in that it is grayish- 
white in background, with frequent dark 
brown spots, and a larger dash of the same 
color in the center. 

This little bird is in great contrast with the 
White-crowned Sparrow in a number of re-, 
spects. While the White-crowned Sparrow us- 
ually sits quietly and moves somewhat sedately, 
the Rusty Song Sparrow has a nervous, twitch- 
ing movement (not unlike the Wren), with 
something akin to a fretful air, with head feath- 
ers somewhat erectile and tail elevated, indicat- 
ing disturbance. Again, while the White- 
crowned Sparrow sings inveterately, the Rusty 
Song Sparrow is a little chary of exhibiting his 
fine vocal powers. But, when he does sing, his 
voice does credit to the Song Sparrow family — 
the members of which everyv/here are notably 
sweet musicians. He is often found with us in 
the winter time, and occasion?Jly his song may 
be heard on a sunny day. 

These Sparrows may be found in hedges, 
shrubs and trees of low growth. When they 

38 



sing, they mount to the top of some shoot tall- 
er than the rest, and can be easily seen and 
studied through the glass. 

Particular Description — All above, rusty-brown; the 
breast, as described above; underneath, grayish-white. 

Partly a permanent, and partly a summer, res- 
ident. 

THE RED=SHAFTED FLICKER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: brown, barred with black, 

with white rump. 
Under parts: light reddish-white, spotted 
with black; under the wings, salmon- 
red. A conspicuous black crescent 
on breast. 
Length, 12 to 13 inches. 
Found everywhere, very often about houses. 

It is necessary to giv^ the next place to the 
familiar, cheery, beautiful and altogether splen- 
did Woodpecker, that haunts town and 
country alike, sometimes rapping upon houses 
with his strong bill, entering them through open 
windows, and even occasionally forcing his way 
in through doors which he has made for him- 
self if left undisturbed in his work. This bird 
is familiarly known as ''the Flicker." He has 
many other names in other parts of the country, 



39 



and is here sometimes called the ''Yellowham- 
mer," after his Eastern cousin — though the 
name is misapplied, since the Flicker of this 
Coast has red or salmon color in place of 
the yellow which is characteristic of the East- 
ern species. ''Redhammer'' would be the ap- 
propriate name for this prying creature which 
hammers so often and so vigorously against 
tree or house. And as his Eastern cousin is 
sometimes called the ''Yellow-shafted" Wood- 
pecker, we may call this the ''Red-Shafted- 
Woodpecker." 

Notice his loud call, salute or signal, from 
some high perch: "Kee-yer, kee-yer." In 
spring and sometimes at other seasons, his 
"Wick, wick, wick, wick," rapidly repeated, may 
be often heard; and his soft affectionate "Whee- 
hew, whee-hew, whee-hew" during courtship, 
or in friendly company. This bird is beautiful 
in color, in form, and in movement, whether 
the movement be on the wing, in undulating 
flight, or while searching the bark of a tree for 
grubs or ants. It is a question how far our 
objections to this splendid bird's noise about, 
and forcible entrance into, our houses might be 
removed, if we came to love him as we do the 
domestic pets, whose pother and destructive- 

40 



ness we put up with. The Flicker nests in holes 
in trees, which he makes with his strong bill. 

Particular Description — Male and female — Head and 
neck, gray (Anthony says, '^rarely with red crescent 
across back of neck") ; back, grayish-brown and 
barred with black; rump, white: tail, black above and 
salmon below; moustaches in the male, red; breast and 
under parts, soiled white, or very pale vinaceous, spot- 
ted with black; black crescent on breast. 

The Flicker is a permanent resident. 

THE NORTHWESTERN FLICKER. 

There is a variety of the Flicker more or less 
common in our section, especialh' in its North- 
ern part, which so nearly resembles the ''Red- 
shafted'' that few persons will probably care to 
distinguish it from the latter bird. It is known 
as the ''Northwestern" Flicker. No doubt, even 
bird-students in certain localities have seen 
scarcely any other, and have supposed it to be 
the "Red-shafted"; and for the average student, 
perhaps it is just as well not to try and make 
a distinction. The distinction is found in gen- 
eral in the darker colors of the "Northwest- 
ern:" 

"Back, deeper brown (sometimes of a warm umber 
tint); lower parts, deeper vinaceous; throat, deeper 
ash-gray (sometimes almost lead color); top of head, 
deeper brownish." — Ridgway. 

41 



THE WESTERN CHIPPING SPARROW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: crown, rufous; back, slight- 
ly reddish-brown. 
Under parts: light soft gray. 
Length, 5 inches and more. 
Found in open fields, often near houses. 

This little Sparrow is the smallest of its fam- 
ily. It has its own peculiarly quiet and fascin- 
ating manners and habits. It has some of the 
domestic procHvities of the corresponding East- 
ern variety. The latter is found about back- 
door yards and even upon door-steps, looking 
for crumbs, and no bird has a more winsome 
look or dainty habit. He should never be mis- 
taken for the English or House Sparrow, which 
greedily takes all crumbs meant for others. The 
''Chippy," as he is more familiarly called, may 
be heard uttering his characteristic song or call, 
''Chip, chip, chip, chip, chip," often and rapidlv 
repeated. It sounds, sometimes, like a mellow 
chirring of a grasshopper. Occasionally, in the 
darkest night, the song of the male bird will 
ring out in the still air, in order, it is said, to re- 
assure the little female upon her nesi. This 
Sparrow is sometimes called the "Hair Bird," 
because he lines his nest with horsehair. 

Particular Description — Crown, bright reddish- 

42 



brown; forehead, black; streak of gray over the eye; 
back, brown, slightly reddish, feathers streaked with 
black; breast, and underneath, soft, light gray. 

Quite a common summer resident. i\ few of 
the birds remain all winter. 



THE OREGON VESPER SPARROW, OR OREGON 
BAY=WINQED BUNTING. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: brown, streaked with gray. 
Under parts: whitish, streaked; outer tail- 
feathers, white. 
Length, 6 inches. 
Found in open pasture lands and by country way- 
sides. 

While 3^ou are looking for and watching the 
Sparrow^s already named, you will see a Spar- 
row fly out of the road, or along tne fence, 
showing white outer tail-feathers — the one in- 
fallible mark by which you may know a Vesper 
from other memibers of his family. Only do not 
mistake the Junco, or ''Snow Bird," for the Ves- 
per Sparrow, as he has the same white tail- 
markings. This Sparrow is common in the west- 
ern parts of our States, is a sw^eet singer, utter- 
ing a wilder and freer note than the Song Spar- 
row, and is more generous of his song. The 
song is difficult to describe, but cannot be mis- 



43 



taken after it has once been recognized. The 
bird has received the distinguishing name of 
Vesper Sparrow because, perhaps, it sings more 
toward evening than do the other Sparrows. 

Particular Description — Male and female — Head and 
back, brown, streaked with gray; shoulders, chestnut; 
throat and breast, whitish, striped with dark brown, 
and lower under parts, soiled white; outer tail-feath- 
ers, partly white, apparently wholly wdiite as the bird 
flies. 

Summer resident. Arrives about April 15th. 



THE WESTERN SAVANNA SPARROW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: pale grayish, brown 

streaked. 
Under parts: whitish, streaked with 

brown; yellow line over eye. 
Length, 5.5 inches. 
Found by seaside, and in and around marshes. 

This Western variety of tne Savanna Sparrow 
of the East is common along the Coast and on 
Puget Sound, and should be recognized by 
those in whose locality he is a resident. Its 
song is low and grasshopper-like: "Ptsip, ptsip, 
ptsip; zee, e-e-e-e.'' Its home, in the marshes 
and lowlands, where other Sparrows are not us- 



44 



ually found, gives this bird an association of 
special interest. 

It nests upon the ground in grassy places, 
or in the sedge of the marsh. 

Particular Description — Head, back and wings, pale 
grayish-brown; light gray line down middle of head; 
line over eye, yellow; back, streaked with broad black 
and narrower light grayish lines, strongly marked; 
underneath, whitish, streaked with buffy. 

Summer resident. 



EUROPEAN HOUSE, OR ENGLISH, SPARROW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: dusty brown. 
Under parts: dull grayish. 
Length, 6 inches. 
Found in towns and cities. 

This bird must have a place in our list in or- 
der that he may be recognized, and that we 
may, as much as possible, discourage his dwell- 
ing in our neighborhood. He is an imported 
bird, as his name suggests, and has brought to 
our native American birds only trouble, and to 
our American people only regret. It is not 
easy to speak against any bird; but -this one 
seems to compel all bird-lovers to except him 
from their sympathetic attention. He has no 



45 



song that may be called such, mostly putting 
forth a querulous sort of cry. He comes, like 
the tramps and loafers, to the towns and cities, 
there to fall upon and drive away all other feath- 
ered dwellers, and he has power to multiply so 
rapidly that a few now will become a legion in 
two or three years. These birds have not be- 
come numerous in Oregon and Washington 
yet. And it is to be hoped that Bird Societies 
will take the matter in hand and authorize in- 
telligent, skillful and humane agents to reduce 
and keep down their numbers. Such work is 
not for boys, who may mistake other Sparrows 
for these pestiferous, quarrelsome and destruc- 
tive birds; and in killing these, cultivate a taste 
for killing birds in general, and also harden 
hearts too apt to undergo this process in life. 
To show with what rapidity these birds may 
multiply, a bulletin issued by the United States 
Agricultural Department states that one pair, 
in ten years, may produce 275,716,983,698. This 
calculation, of course, assumes that all eggs will 
hatch and all progeny survive in the line. This 
Sparrow is to be found in the spring, having 
already pre-empted for its own use every bird- 
house built for Bluebirds, Swallows and Wrens, 
and forcing its nest into eyery covert, nook and 
corner about buildings. 

46 



Particular Description — Male — Ashy above, with 
black and chestnut stripes on back and shoulders; 
wings, chestnut, with white bars bordered by black 
line; gray crown; middle of the throat and breast, 
black; underneath, grayish-white. 

Female — Paler; wing-bars, indistinct; no black on 
throat and breast. 

Permanent resident, wherever found. 



THE PINE SISKIN. 

General Description — 

Brindle-brown, with yellow bars on 

wings. 
Length, 5 inches. 
Found in the spring about our roadsides, and upon 
our evergreens, near and in open places, even in cities 
and towns. 

As soon as the first dandelions are blown, 
and the green grass is flecked with their winged 
seeds, you will see flocks of little gra}dsh-brown 
birds, not unlike Sparrows in their color, but 
with touches of light yellow on wings, back and 
tail, and sometimes a flush of yellow appearing 
imder the surface of the feathers — eagerly de- 
vouring these fugitive morsels. They may be 
seen, too, upon the evergreen trees of the neigh- 
borhood, and again upon other trees, singing in 
chorus the softest, sweetest song imaginable. 

47 



The privilege of hearing this song is not given 
to the people of the Atlantic Coast, for before 
these birds there begin their song, they have 
gone north into the pines of British America, 
where they nest in the tree-tops, far from the 
marauding hands of man. These Siskins, some- 
times called 'Tine Finches," or 'Tine Linnets," 
linger in this part of the country till the nesting- 
season for other birds has quite begun; and 
then, though most of them disappear to the 
mountains and possibly to the forests of the. 
North, some have learned to trust their eggs and 
young to the neighboring trees. 

The undulating flight of this bird should be 
marked as like that of the Goldfinch, to which i: 
is related. 

The Pine Siskin is mostlv a transient. 



THE AMERICAN GOLDFINCH. 

General Description — 

Yellow body; black wings, tail and crown. 

Length, 5 inches. 
Found anywhere in open country, especially about 
weeds that have feathered seeds, and thistles. 

This bird is more generally noticed than most 
other birds in our locality, on account of his 
striking color. Resembling, as he does, the 

48 



Canary, he is often called the "Wild Canary." 
But not many know more than the appearance 
of this bird of "gentle ways and sweet disposi- 
tion." Few know his sweet song, like that of 
the Siskin (who is a cousin, as before intimat- 
ed), and fewer know his undulating flight with 
the sweet accompanying song, which seems to 
rise and fall in pitch with his wave-like move- 
ment. 

He begins to change his dress when the nest- 
ing season is over, and . in winter appears in 
darker and less noticeable garb — the male win- 
ter dress being somewhat like the summer dress 
of the female. 

His home is where the thistle, dandelion, let- 
tuce and sunflower bloom. Sunflowers in the 
garden will invite his presence and secure a 
long stay with you. 

Particular Description — Male — Head, back, breast 
and lower under parts, bright yellow; cap, wings and 
tail, black; white markings upon the latter two. In 
his winter dress the bright yellow changes to a brawn- 
ish-olive; his black wings and tail retained. 

Female — Both winter and summer, brownish-olive 
above; dusky-yellow below. 

Partly a summer, and partly a permanent, res- 
ident. 



49 



THE SWALLOWS. 



These are the birds that do not sing, but they 
fly with a grace that fascinates one and com- 
pels prolonged attention. The flight of any 
bird is wonderful, and should never be over- 
looked as a source of satisfaction to the heart 
of a bird-lover. But the flight of the Swallow 
has in it all of the grace and poetry of motion 
imaginable. Flying is marvelous enough; but 
floating in air seems fairly miraculous to one- 
who, for the first time, really notices a Swallow 
glide over a meadow or touch the bosom of a 
lake, and for a distance make no motion of the 
wings — except as they go with the body in its 
easy turns. The Swallow is truly the bird of 
the air, as the Sparrow is the bird of the ground, 
and the Warbler, the bird of the trees. 

Swallows eat and drink wdiile on the wing. 
One kind occasionally eats at rest. No one 
ever saw a swallow chasing insects upon the 
sand, or lifting his head toward heaven after 
dipping his bill into a pool in the road or in a 
spring. He alights only for rest and for sleep. 
Nearly all the day, from sun to sun, he darts 
and gyrates and glides over meadow and pool 
— taking what he needs while in ever graceful 
motion. 



50 



It is said that Swallows do not sing. Do 
they not? Is not their exquisite twitter a song? 
that twitter that is so friendly to each other and 
so charming to man, that it gives the satisfac- 
tion of a song. 

These birds are so peaceable among them- 
selves, so fond of living together, that we are 
attached to them. Some of them make their 
nests in colonies, and are not jealous of room 
or of favorable locations. 

As much as the author of this book is pleased 
with the ''birds that sing," he wishes to record 
that the Swallows have ministered to his happi- 
ness not less. 

He sympathizes with Jeffries, who says: ''As 
well suppose the trees without leaves as the 
summer air without swallows. Ever since of old 
time, the Greeks went round from house to 
house in spring, singing the swallow song, these 
birds have been looked upon as the friends of 
man, and almost as the very givers of the sun- 
shine. * * >j^ "Yhe beautiful swallows, 
be tender with them, for they symbol all that is 
best in nature and all that is best in our hearts." 

There are six varieties of the Swallow, proper 
more or less common in Oregon and Washing- 
ton. They are the Violet-green, Cliff or Eave, 
White-bellied or Tree, Bank, Rough-winged, 



51 



and Barn Swallow — besides the Martin, which 
will be described also. 

THE VIOLET=QREEN SWALLOW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: a soft rich green (but not 

lustrous). 
Under parts: pure white. 
Uength, 5 inches. 

Found about houses and out-buildings. 

This bird belongs to the Pacific Coast; and, 
a particularly beautiful bird it is, having a 
beauty as rare as the peculiarity of its color. To 
enjoy this, one needs to catch sight of the sheen 
of the plumage in a slanting vision, in just the 
right light; for the beauty of the plumage of this 
bird is, like m.any of the finest things in the 
world, not striking, but exquisitely delicate. 
The glossy bluish-black of other Swallows will 
easily command your admiration, but this bird 
is by far the most beautiful. 

This delightful creature is preferably domestic, 
choosing his nesting-place in and about human 
dwellings, though to some extent still (and 
formerly altogether, before human habitations 
became numerous) rearing his family in holes 
of trees in the woods. He welcomes a bird- 
house, while he will enter through a knot-hole, 



52 



or any opening in cornice or gable, to find a 
secure home for his young. Mr. Ross Nicholas, 
of Portland, Oregon, reports an example of the 
tireless labor that these birds will put forth in 
the construction of a nest. A pair having dis- 
covered a way into the eaves of a house, found 
a space of three feet below the opening, and, 
with a courage and patience that ought to be 
the envy of man, proceeded to build up the nest, 
straw by straw, until it stood level with the en- 
trance. 

I have said that Swallows do not sing, but 
this bird's note is more than a twitter — more 
like a soft song. 

The Violet-green Swallow should never be 
confused with the Eave Swallow and driven 
away, lest mud nests be built against the sides 
of the house. A distinguishing mark between 
the two birds is the seemingly white rump, 
when the ''Violet-green" is on the wing. This 
appearance is caused by the white from under- 
neath extending so far around the sides of' the 
rump; the latter is, in reality, a mingled color — 
bluish-green with rich plum-purple. 

Particular Description — Effect of all above, a soft 
rich green, but head and neck and sometimes back, 
shaded with purple to a violet-green tint in center of 
rump; white patches on sides of rump often give effect 



53 



of continuous white, when the bird is on the wing. 
All below pure w^hite. Mr. Charles A. Keeler thus 
describes this Swallow: ''Above, a soft, rich green, 
changing to purplish-brown on the crown, and to vio- 
let-purplish on the upper tail-coverts." By '"tail-co- 
verts" is meant the feathers above and below, which 
lap over the tail from the body. 

Only a summer resident, spending the winter 
with the other Swallows in the tropics. Due in 
the locality of the Columbia River about April 
1st, sometimes a week earlier. 



THE CLIFF, OR HAVE, SWALLOW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: bluish-black. 
Under parts: brown and white. 
Length, 6 inches. 

Formerly (like all the large Swallow fam- 
ily), the Cliff or Eave Swallows lived far from 
human dwellings. But they are now found 
(like so many of their kind) about buildings, al- 
though they still, to a considerable extent, make 
their curious nests upon the sides of cliffs. 
These mud nests are pocket-shaped, and are 
literally glued to perpendicular surfaces. The 
birds sometimes add mud house to mud house 
until their homes can be counted by hundreds 
on the side of a cliff. 1 hese Swallows become 



54 



much attached to one locahty, and, if allowed, 
will return to it year after year. 

They are beautiful, gentle and winsome; and 
if one really learns to love them, he will not be- 
grudge them a place on the side of the barn, 
or even, sometimes, upon the side of the house. 

To one who has eyes, the marvelous houses 
built by these feathered architects will be more 
artistic than certain "ginger-bread" work that 
we so often see around cornices. 

Between the Eave and the Violet-green Swal- 
low we may never lack for entertainment and 
objects of loving interest around our homes 
in the summer months. 

Particular Description — Male and Female — Whitish 
forehead; crown and back, steel lustrous blue; rump, 
rusty or buffy; the throat, chestnut, with blackish 
area; breast, light brown; lower under parts, white. 

Summer resident. An early arrival. A few 
come in March, ana the body in early April. 

THE WHITE=BELLIED, OR TREE, SWALLOW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: dark steel blue. 
Under parts: pure white. 
Length, 6 inches. 

Found about hollow trees in the woods, and oar- 
ticularly m trees about sloughs. 



55 



This is the first Swallow to appear in the 
spring, and may be seen in scattering numbers 
early in March, and arrives in this latitude in 
abundance before April ist. In the East, he, too, 
comes and asks to share man's home with him, 
welcoming (as the Violet-green Swallow does 
here) a bird-house or an opening in the gable 
or eaves. 

Like his cousins, his former home was en- 
tirely in the wilds, and (as his name indicates) 
in the trees of the forest. But here, as in the ■ 
East, we may at some time expect him often 
to prefer to share our home, and let us in turn 
share his beauty of appearance and movement, 
and also his delight in life, so manifest by a con- 
stant warb.ling-twitter while performing his be- 
wildering, tireless evolutions on the wing. 

This member of the family is not nearly so 
numerous on this Coast as the Violet-green or 
the Clifif Swallow; but it is common enough 
about our sloughs to be easily identified. 

No detailed description of the bird is possible 
or needed, as it has just the two colors given 
in the general description. Indeed, its scien- 
tific name has in it the word ''bi-color.'' The 
female is a little duller in color than the male. 

Like other Swallows, it is found, when nest- 
ing, near its home; but before and after, it cov- 

56 



ers the open country in its rapid flight, search- 
ing for insects. 

A summer resident. The first of the Swallows 
to appear in, and the last to disappear from 
northern latitudes in the East. Here it is re- 
ported to be the first to leave. 

Sometimes when insect food is scarce, this 
bird eats bayberries; but it is the only Swal- 
low that ever eats anything but insects. 

This is the only one of the family, too, that 
spends the winter in the United States — the 
others wintering in South America. 

THE BARN SWALLOW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: glittering steel-blue. 

Under parts: chestnut-brown, with tail 

deeply forked. 
Length, 7 inches. 
Found around barns and out-buildings while nest- 
ing; and far afield while feeding, and after breeding 
is over. 

. It is to be regretted that as yet the Barn Swal- 
low is not more common m the North Pacific 
States. It is hoped that it will become a more 
frequent and familiar summer resident in our 
country barns as time goes on. At present it 
is found only here and there. 

57 



Probably no bird is more associated with the 
country boy's life, m the East, than this arrow- 
like but tame bird, that glides in and out of barn 
doors and windows, ministering to the wants 
of the brood of little ones in the mud nests stuck 
to the beams or rafters overhead, where can be 
heard all day the soft purr and sweet chatter 
of old and young in their peaceful domestic life. 

All Swallows are miracles upon the wing; but 
no other of the family has the equipment for 
speed and sudden turn that this one has — -the 
forked tail and a little stronger wing furnishing 
him with the power for this excellence. 

In coloring, this Swallow need not be 
ashamed, for, in addition to the rich, lustrous 
blue of its back, its chestnut breast glistens in 
the sun like a polished surface. 

Though the Swallows on the beams and raft- 
ers do soil somewhat our barns and sheds, is 
not the pleasure they give in their sweet fellow- 
ship of home-making, and in their ministry of 
beauty, ample reward? 

Particular Description — Male — Forehead, rufous; 
head and back, glistening steel-blue, shading to black; 
throat, rufous; breast and under parts, brilliant buff 
that glistens in the sun; an irregular collar of bluish- 
black; tail, very deeply forked, with long, slender out- 
er tail-feathers. 

Summer resident. 

58 



THE BANK SWALLOW. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: brownish-gray, no metallic 

coloring. 
Under parts: white. 
Length, 5 inches. 
Found around river banks, and, like other Swal- 
lows, wide rovers over field and marsh. 

This is the smallest of the Swallows, and, like 
the Cliff Swallow, it nests in colonies, choosing 
for settlement, as a rule, sandy river banks, in 
which with its little bill and small feet it bores 
holes two or three feet deep — a thing seeming- 
ly impossible to do with such tiny implements. 
The holes are only far enough apart to -avoid 
coincidence, and at the end of each is the nest, 
lined with grasses and rootlets. 

These large communities of feathered neigh- 
bors dwell most happily together, and habitu- 
ally leave their homes with a ''giggling twitter'' 
— one of the cheeriest notes along the river 
banks. The homes are of frequent occurrence 
along the Willamette and elsewhere in these 
States. 

Particular Description — Male and female — Head, back 
and tail, grayish-brown or clay-color; upper wings 
and tail, darkest; breast, white with brownish band 
across; underneath, white; tail, though rounded, more 
nearly square than that of other Swallows, and ob- 



59 



scurely edged with white; a lit'tle tuft of feathers at 
the base of the toes. 
Summer resident. 



THE ROUGH=WINQED SWALLOW. 

General Description — 

Not unHke the Bank Swallow. 

Length, 5.5 inches. 
Found in the same localities as Bank Swallows, and 
as other Swallows when on the wing. 

This is really another sort of Bank Swallow, 
nesting, as it does, in holes in river banks. 

Its habits are quite identical with those of the 
Bank Swallow. It is chiefly distinguished by 
the peculiarity which gives it its name, viz.: 
the outer edge of the first flight-feather has a 
series of stifif hooks upon it. Its breast is also a 
little grayish and without the band. 

A summer resident. Arrives and departs 
with the Bank Swallow. 

THE WESTERN PURPLE MARTIN. 

General Description — 

Male — Glossy purplish-black above and 

below. 
Female — Bluish-black, less clear above; 

whitish below. 
Length, 8 inches. 
Found about houses and hollow trees. 

60 



This is one of the family of Swallows, and 
yet is so individual in nearly all ways that we 
must regard the bird a little apart from his rel- 
atives. He is much larger than any of the Swal- 
lows (the length of the Barn Swallow's outer 
tail feathers must not be taken into account). 
The color of the male, strikingly beautiful, is 
altogether unlike any other Swallow. Then its 
flight is higher, less swift, less free and exten- 
sive. And it alone of all its kindred has a full, 
rich voice, which all day long, while the bird 
is on the wing or at rest, may be heard like 
''musical laughter rippling up from the throat." 

The Eastern variety (almost exactly like the 
Western) has from time unknown preferred the 
home made for it by man — the Indian, before 
the white race appeared, having placed a hol- 
lowed gourd lined with bark in the crotch of his 
tent poles, to invite the Martin's friendship. 
But in the East no bird has suffered so much 
from the English Sparrow as the Purple, Mar- 
tin, through the pre-emption by the Sparrows 
of the houses intended for their betters. 

It is to be regretted that the Purple Martin 
is not more numerous and more generally dis- 
tributed in this section of the country. But 
they are quite numerous in special localities and 
already are preferring to nest about houses 

6i 



rather than in the hollow trees. They were seen 
and heard by the writer at St. Helens on the 
Columbia River in May, 1899, and in the spring 
of 1901 were found nesting in and about the city 
of Tacoma. 

If we keep several bird-houses on our premises, 
we may succeed in bringing a pair of these de- 
light-giving creatures to pass each spring and 
summer with us; for once hospitably enter- 
tained, they will return as regularly as the sea- 
sons. 

Particular Description — Male — Rich glossy black, 
with bluish and purple tints; duller black on the 
wings and tail; wings rather longer than tail, which is 
forked. 

Female — As above. 

Only a summer resident. Arrives in mid- 
April. 



THE RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRD. 

These States, like the East, have but one va- 
riety of the Hummingbird out of 350 in Ameri- 
ca. The rest are in the tropics. I say "but one." 
There is another variety known as the Calliope 
Hummingbird, found very rarely, perhaps in the 
mountains. The Rufous Hummingbird is dainty, 

62 



like all of the family, beautiful and very abun- 
dant. His appearance is the nearest to a sug- 
gestion of a sprite that any bird gives us. So 
far as he seems material, he carries with him the 
appearance of a ''winged gem/' or again of a 
winged flower. So sensitive does our little bird 
seem, that we could hardly expect it to enter 
our climate until late June or early July, after 
the cold rains have passed. We never can quite 
outgrow, through familiarity, the sense of sur- 
prise and even of amazement, when this little 
breath of a bird flits before our eyes in March. 
And yet that is what he does as often as March 
comes round. He is ready for the honey in the 
first flowers, and for the first aphides upon the 
tender foliage. The hum of his wings, moving 
too rapidly for our sight, will announce, at the 
same time, his arrival and his readiness to feed 
our eyes and hearts again with his ever-new evi- 
dence of ''beauty, wonder and powder.'' 

Particular Description — Male — Head, metallic green; 
same color sometimes down back; back, lower tail- 
coverts and breast, rufous; throat and ruff, or gorget, 
coppery-red; below this, a white collar. 

Female — Back, green instead of rufous; only a 
trace of metallic feathers on breast. 
Length, si inches. 

Summer resident. 

63 



BREWER'S BLACKBIRD. 

General Description — 

Black all over. 
Length, 9 inches. 
Found generally in the country and about large 
open grounds in towns and cities. 

This is the Blackbird of the Pacific Coast 
from Cahfornia northward. It is abundant; 
and nearly always, except when nesting, is to 
be seen in flocks. The bird has marked peculi- 
arities, in the very white eye and in the imperti- 
nent challenge-note it utters to any one who hap- 
pens to intrude upon its nesting-place or to 
come upon it while it is eating. When nesting, 
it will saucily and unexpectedly dash against a 
man's hat and pursue him for yards in the man's 
own enclosure, while yet the nest has not been 
closely approached. But these peculiarities add 
interest and charm to the bird, in the eyes of the 
bird-lover. 

His song is not strikingly beautiful, but has 
its own special quality, which goes with the 
bird-chorus to render enchanting a spring day. 

No doubt this Blackbird does some damage to 
a farmer's crops for a time; and it may need 
watching and frightening off till the time for 
harm is past. But let the farmer remember that 
for the most of the year these vigorous birds, 

64 




Audubon's Warbler. 



in pairs and in flocks, devour thousands of bush- 
els of harmful insects and worms, and quanti- 
ties of the seeds of weeds in our wide territory. 
The multiplication of insect-life is the natural 
result of destroying birds. They are worth many 
times more to us for beauty, fellowship and use 
than the price they ask in fruits and grains in a 
brief season. 

Particular Description — Male^Glistening greenish 
iridescent-black. 

Female — Brownish-black, no gloss. 

Mostly a summer resident. A few remain the 
year round. 

THE RED=WINGED BLACKBIRD. 

General Description — 

Male — All black, except shoulder-patch 

(vv^hich is scarlet). 
Female — Streaked brownish and white. 
Length, 8.5 inches, more or less. 

Found in nesting-time about bogs and marshes. 

The beauty of the "Red-wing" is recognized 
by anyone who sees it; and his musical song 
quite naturally suggested to Emerson the line, 
'The red-wing flutes his O-ka-lee!" 

Yet, in spite of his beauty of color and sweet 
song, to many farmers he is a detestable enemy. 

65 



When the farmer learns that seven-eighths of 
the Red-wing's food is made up of weed-seeds 
or of insects injurious to agriculture, he will 
perhaps be willing to share his crop with the 
birds which have helped him to raise it. 

Particular Description — Male — Coal-black; shoulders, 
scarlet, bordered with a brownish-yellow band. 
Female — As above. 

Partlv permanent resident. 



THE OREGON TOWHEE, OR CHEWINK. 

General Description — 

Round body; large black head; sides of 

breast, reddish-brown. 
Length, 8 inches. 
Found in bushes, and often upon the ground, 
scratching in the leaves. 

The boys hereabouts know^ this particular 
kind of bird as the "Catbird,'' because it has 
an alarm-cry very much resembling a cat, but 
not so distinctly resembling this animal as the 
"Catbird" proper of the Eastern States. 

The names ''Towhee" and ''Chewink'' are 
given the common Eastern variety of this spe- 
cies because his usual happy call seems to sound 
like one 'of these words. If the family were to 
be named from the characteristic call of the 



66 



Oregon variety, it would not receive its present 
designation. 

The Towhee is sometimes called the ''Ground 
Robin," because the sides of his breast so 
closely resemble the Robin's breast in color, and 
because he so persistently digs and delves under 
the leaves and about the roots of bushes for the 
grubs which are his principal food. 

He is a very individual bird, and often seems 
to go tumbling rather than hopping about in 
the bushes, hiding in the deepest thickets from 
your sight, but always keeping you within his 
own vision. 

His song is given from the highest bush in 
the clump, or from the top of a low tree, and is 
sometimes like the musical trill of a large in- 
sect. He is distinguished for a very red eye. 

Particular Description — Male — Black head, back, tail 
and neck; wings, slightly spotted with white; breast, 
white center, reddish-brown sides; underneath, white. 
Female — Sooty above; sides of breast rather deeper 
red. 

Partly summer, and partly permanent, resi- 
dent. 

THE CALIFORNIA PURPLE FINCH. 

General Description — 

Male — Head and breast, raspberry-red. 
Length, 6 inches. 

67 



Found early in the season, in company with Gold- 
finches, feefing upon dandelion and other feathered 
seeds. Later, in orchards and gardens. 

The Purple Finch is probably named, not 
from the color which we commonly recognize 
by that designation, but from a peculiar red 
shade which perhaps approaches in some birds 
the ancient Tyrian purple. The male, which 
takes all the color of the species, does not come 
to his rich heritage till he is two years old; 
meanwhile, closely resembhng a Sparrow, he' 
might be taken for one. The beauty of the male 
is not alone in the striking and unusual red 
upon head and breast, but is also in the fine 
and varied brown lines upon his back, and quite 
as much in his perfect form. The fem_ale is far 
inferior to her mate in respect of beauty. 

This is one of the most beloved, and at the 
same time one of the most hated, of birds. For, 
while he comes to the bird-lover as an object of 
beauty to the eye with his display of fine color, 
and a joy to the ear with his wealth of warbling 
song, to the fruit-grower he comes as an enemy of 
fruit buds. There is good reason to suppose, how- 
ever, that the damage done by this bird is over- 
estimated; while it is possible that what seems 
to be harmful may be beneficial. Experiment 
has shown that finer and larger measure, or 

68 



more weight of fruit, is obtained where a part 
(sometimes one-half) of the fruit set upon a tree 
has been removed. Mr. A. W. Anthony — one 
of the great authorities upon the birds of the 
Pacific Coast — has given attention to this sub- 
ject, has seen a partial experiment tried, and is 
of the latter opinion. One year the Purple 
Finches were allowed to have their own way in 
a cherry orchard, with the result that the cherry 
trees were overloaded at harvest time. But 
even if it is true that some damage is done by 
this bird and others, the farmer and fruit-grower 
must beware, for he may save a few cherries at 
the cost of immeasurably greater damage from 
insects and noxious weeds. 

This Finch is with us in numbers by the last 
of March, and will soon after be heard pouring 
forth his beautiful song from the top of the 
highest trees in the neighborhood. His song, in 
a general way, is a warble. Mr. Frank M. Chap- 
man says of the song of the Eastern Purple 
Finch (not unlike our own): "His song is a 
sweet, flowing warble, music as natural as the 
rippling of the mountain brook." 

Particular Description — Male — Two years old, head, 
throat and breast, bright wine-red; back, brown, with 
a pinkish tinge; rump, more like head; underneath 
and under tail-coverts, white. 

69 



Female — Above, olive-grayish, somewhat streaked; 
breast, whitish., streaked with brown; underneath, 
white. 

Mostly a summer resident. 



THE WRENS. 



Perhaps no birds are more bewitching in their 
make-up and manner than these little creatures' 
that are very common in certain wide parts of 
the North Pacific States. They are everywhere 
within these limits. 

There are four varieties. Three of these look, 
to the superficial observer, so much alike that 
care must be taken to distinguish them. They 
all have the same general form, and, in different 
shades, the same color, brown. The body and 
tail of each is barred or speckled with dusky 
cross-marks. 

PARKMAN'S HOUSE WREN. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: darkish brown. 

Under parts: pale buffy. 

Length, 5 inches and more. 
Found about human dwellings and holes in fences 
and trees. 



70 



It is hoped that every one knows "Little 
Jennie Wren'', who in the spring is always look- 
ing for a sheltered nook about the piazza, in an 
out-building, or in a house built expressly for 
herself. What fidgety airs, what twitching and 
turning, what bobbing and bowing, what scold- 
ing in their own peppery style while you are 
near the sacred precincts of these little creatures! 
For, though angelic singers, they have a temper 
that even the larger birds fear. But what con- 
trast in the bubbling song that the male will 
pour forth, at intervals, all day long, — some- 
times allowing no rest, when singing in response 
to a rival. Mr. Chapman says of the correspond- 
ing House Wren in the East, very nearly like 
our own, that he has heard one sing, under such 
conditions, ten songs a minute for two hours at 
a time. 

If we do not have these little mountain-brooks 
of song about our houses, it may be entirely our 
own fault in not setting up for them a box 
against the house, or even a box upon a pole, — 
in each case making the entrance not larger than 
a silver quarter, to keep out the English Spar- 
row or the Swallow. 

Once the box is taken possession of, the birds 
will return year after year to the same nesting- 
place. 



71 



Particular Description — Male and Female — All over, 
a little darker than cinnamon-brown; wings and tail, 
barred with dusky lines; "back and sides, more or less 
waved with dusky cross-markings"; under parts, pale 
buffy. 

A summer resident, iney may be expected 
from the South about the middle of April. 

VIQORS'S WREN. 

General Description — 

Very like the House Wren in general ap- . 
pearance — the distinguishing mark 
being a Ime of white over the eye. 
Length, 5 inches and more. 

Found in and out of thickets and hedges. 

This Wren has the restless habit of the House 
Wren, as already indicated. It nests in thickets 
and hedges, and occasionally it, like the House 
Wren, makes a nest about a house. In March, 
1901, a pair of these birds were nesting under 
the roof of a low piazza in Portland. The 
Vigors's Wren has one of the most striking and 
attractive songs given by the birds of the North- 
west. It seems impossible that so small a bird 
can be heard so far. His song is so unlike that 
of the House Wren that it cannot be confused 
with the latter, when once it has been distinctly 
heard. He may be heard across a valley, or far 
up a glen on a still morning. 



72 



Particular Description — Above, almost a blackish- 
brown; wings and sides^ not so dark; below, grayish- 
white; distinguishing mark, white line over eye. 

Largely a permanent resident. 



THE WESTERN WINTER WREN. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: darker brown than either of 

the other Wrens. 
Under parts: pale brown; pale brown 

stripe over the eye. 
Length, only 4 inches. 

This is the smallest and the wildest of the 
Wrens. It lives in the woods about old stumps 
and the roots of overturned trees, where it 
nests. There he may be seen through the glass, 
with his short tail erect, hastening to get out 
of sight. But when you are no longer near, 
he begins an exquisite song, which John Bur- 
roughs describes, in his Eastern cousin, as "3, 
wild, sweet, rhythmical cadence that holds you 
entranced." His note of alarm is said to sound 
something like "Chimp, chimp." You can tell 
him by noting carefully his short tail, and com- 
paring your observation with the following de- 
scription : 

Particular description — Above, like other Wrens, 

73 



more or less distinctly cross-barred, but darker and 
less rusty; chin and throat, dull tawny. 

Permanent resident- 

TULE WREN. 

This is the Western variety of the Eastern 
Long-billed Marsh Wren. The long bill and the 
marsh habitat will distinguish it from all the 
other Wrens. This bird attaches its nest to 
reeds, making it globular in form, with the en- 
trance on the side. 

Mr. J. H. Bowles, of Tacoma, Wash., is my 
authority for saying that it is as common, about 
some parts of Puget Sound at least, as any of 
the members of the family named above. 

Particular Description — Head, dark brown; back, 
lighter brown, streaked with black and white in the 
middle; ''tail-coverts, upper and lower, usually dis- 
tinctly barred with blackish." Length, 5 inches. 

Summer resident. 

AUDUBON'S WARBLER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: soft bluish-gray with yellow 

spot on head and rump. 
Under parts: yellow and white, streaked 

with black. 
Length, 5 to 6 inches. 



74 



Found in evergreen trees, even in those near 
houses in towns. 

When a person is out the last of March, 
near a bunch of evergreens, or about willows 
bordering sloughs, he will hear a sweet, attrac- 
tive song, and may soon see, moving about with 
the restlessness of its family, one of the most 
charming little birds on our Coast, and one that 
belongs wholly to it Such a little bunch of 
beauty, seen for the first time, will send a thrill 
of joy through the beholder's heart. The colors 
in which he is arrayed are so bright and har- 
monious, and his song is so sweet and clear, one 
will ever afterward know him. His proper hom.e. 
when nesting and all the season through, is in 
the spruce and pine ; and when in these trees you 
can only catch sight of him as he appears ever 
and anon on an outer branch and hangs for a 
moment searching with his sharp eyes for his 
insect food; or when, for a moment, he darts 
to a deciduous tree in the neighborhood, or to a 
lower dead limb on the evergreen. 

The bird is very abundant, and the people of 
the Pacific Coast should glory in this, which is 
perhaps, more than any other, characteristically 
their own beautiful Warbler. 

There is a member of the Warbler family 
common in the East (but rarer here), which we 



75 



might mistake for this one, should we some day 
happen upon him. It is the Myrtle Warbler, the 
distinguishing marks being that the latter has a 
white throat instead of a yellow one, blackish 
sides of the head, and not so much white on 
the wings. 

Particular Description — Head, back and wings, bluish- 
gray, with yellow spot upon crown and rump — the yel- 
low spot upon the crown partly concealed; back, 
streaked with black; white patch upon wings; yellow 
throat; breast, white, streaked broadly with black, 
with striking yellow patches on the sides of the 
breast. 

x\udubon's Warbler and the Myrtle Warbler 
are both summer residents. It is probable, how- 
ever, that the Audubon's occasionally spends 
the winter with us. 

THE SKYLARK. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: light brownish, with slight 

tawny tinge. 
Under parts: not different from upper. 
Length, 7 to 7.5 inches. 

Found in the open meadows. 

The Skylark is an imported bird, to be sure, 
but is suf^ciently numerous in some parts of 
Oregon to attract attention and minister to the 
joy of many people. No bird in the w^orld has 

76 



been so much the theme of poets, or so much 
the object of enthusiastic admiration. Its fame 
has gone out through all the world, and multi- 
tudes of people who have never seen the bird 
have delighted in it in imagination. Nearly 
everyone who has read poetry at all knows, 
more or less intimately, Shelley's, and perhaps 
Wordsworth's, ''Skylark"; and many can repeat 
at least a part of James Hogg^s airy nnes, be- 
ginning — 

"Bird of the wilderness, 
Blithesome and cumberless." 

Whoever in Oregon has seen this bird soar, 
and has heard him while soaring ever singing, 
can appreciate Shakespeare's unequaled lines, 
''Hark, hark, the Lark at Heaven's gate sings," 
and has felt that the poet has not overdone the 
fact. The bird is enchanting beyond the ae 
scriptive powers of poetry or prose. We must 
see and hear the Skylark for ourselves. 

Behold a bird rising from the meadow, and 
the instant it is on the wing beginning a flood 
of exquisite song of rapid variation which does 
not cease, even for breathing, till, sometimes 
after fifteen or twenty minutes, it drops again 
to earth. Meanwhile, it is literally in the sky 
and lost to sight if the eye should, even for an 
instant, surrender its object. No' bird on our 



77 



continent so nearly bursts with gladness. There 
is one most thrilling utterance which ever and 
anon it returns to, seeming to say, ''O joy! O 
joy! O joy!" 

The location hi the Skylark is not at present 
known beyond the fields in the eastern part of 
the city of Portland. But readers of this book 
will no doubt find it elsewhere, either now or 
some time in the near future, as it multiplies 
rapidly and will extend its summer habitat. 

The best time to see and hear it is in the 
morning or late afternoon, but it may be heard 
at longer intervals at all times of the day. It is 
a migrant here as in Europe, and leaves the 
fields where it has nested, in September, return- 
ing usually, so far as observed, about the second 
week in February. 

Particular Description — Brownish head and back, ev- 
erywhere streaked slightly with black; breast, pale 
brownish or tawny-buff; outer tail-feathers, white. 

Summer resident. 

THE STREAKED HORNED LARK. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: tawny-cinnamon, streaked 
on back; tufts of black feathers over 
the eyes of the male, like horns. 

Under parts: yellow. 

Length, 6.25 to 7.25 inches. 

78 



Found in the open fields and upon windy prairies. 

There are several varieties of this Lark; but 
one is peculiar to this section, and is called 
''Streaked'' because of the strong markings up- 
on the back. These birds, like other Larks, are 
characteristically lovers of the ground, where 
they run and sit, scarcely ever resting upon any- 
thing higher than a fence, and then only for a 
little time. On account of their running habit 
they are sometimes called on this Coast, "Road 
Trotters.'' When they do occasionally rise high- 
er it is, like the Skylark, to sing on the wing, 
and their efforts in this direction may not be 
despised. Their song is wild, glad and enter- 
taining, though not loud or especially sweet. 
Mr. A. W. Anthony is authority for the state- 
ment that they sometimes sing as near 
''Heaven's gate" as the Skylark himself. They, 
too, are "birds of the wilderness," and no storm 
or rain, however severe, can drive them from 
the open field to cover. 

Particular Description — Adult Male — Fore-part of 
crown has black half-circle nearly from eye to eye, 
with tufts extending back like horns'; a black patch 
under the eye; rest of crown, neck and rump, tawny- 
cinnamon; back, dull olive or grayish-brown, very 
much streaked with dusky; throat, pale yellow; black 
patch on the breast; underneath, pale yellow. 

Summer resident. 



79 



THE WESTERN YELLOW=THROAT. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: olive-brown and olive- 
green. 

Under parts: yellow. Black mask on 
forehead and sides of head. 

Length, 4.75 to 5.85 inches. 

Found in thickets on lowlands. 

The ]\Iaryland YelloAv-throat is famous in the 
East for his beauty and song, and has a large 
place in bird literature. Dr. Henry van Dyke 
has paid him a beautiful tribute in a poem which 
reads something like an echo of the bird's fasci- 
nating song. The Western variety of this bird, 
like the Eastern, will in all probability be often 
heard before he is seen, for he loves the thicket 
from which, unseen, he may mock and delight 
you with his oft-repeated "Wichity-wichity- 
wichity." People interpret this song in many 
ways. Some say it is "Rapity-rapity," and 
others ''Witch-e-wee-o," and so on. Mr. Bur- 
roughs says he has heard birds whose notes 
sounded like, ''Which way, sir?" And Mr. Chap- 
man says he has heard some who seemed to 
say, "Wait a minute." 

The bird's coloring is striking. His yellow 
throat and jet black mask from bill to crown, 
and well down on the sides of the head, covering 

80 



the eye, once seen, will never be mistaken or 
forgotten. 

No one of the Warbler family has as many 
human devotees: and perhaps none deserves 
them more. The Western Yellow-throat is not 
a whit behind his Eastern counterpart in looks 
or in song; in fact, in the former respect, he has 
something of an advantage, his colors being 
brighter and richer, while he is also a little 
larger. His song has quite the same notes as 
that of the Maryland Yellow-throat. 

He comes to our latitude, from his winter 

home in the South, early in the season, and may 

be heard some years by the last week in March. 

He should be sought in lots where there are 

thick clumps of bushes, and in young growths 

of deciduous trees. His nest will be found upon 

or near the ground. ' ' 

Particular Description — Black mask, as above, bor- 
dered by a band (usually broad) of white; crown and 
neck, olive-brown; back, clear olive-green; rump, 
more yellowish; throat and breast, bright yellow. 

A summer resident. 

THE LOUISIANA, OR WESTERN, TANAGER. 

General Description — 

Male — Head and neck, bright red; back, 
wings and tail, black; rump and en- 
tire lower part, bright yellow. 

Length, 7 inches. 
8i 



Found about evergreen and other trees. 

Some day about the last of May, when we are 
watching an Audubon's Warbler in an ever- 
green, or perhaps passing a group of these 
trees, we may hear a song like, and yet not like, 
the Robin's. If at first it seems to be quite the 
same, a little closer attention will reveal a more 
metallic note and a song more regularly and 
rapidly repeated than that of our more familiar 
friend. If our ears direct our eyes, we shall 
not look long before the author of this song will 
appear in an opening, and reveal to us a strik- 
ing plumage of red, yellow and black, and a new 
bird, — or at least one whose general and partic- 
ular name we may not yet have learned. This 
is a male of the only variety of the Tanager 
family upon the Pacific Coast north of Mexico, 
and, as these birds are always in pairs, you may 
expect to find his mate near at hand. 

The Tanager family is an immense and bril- 
liantly-plumaged one. America (North and 
South) alone has three hundred and fifty varie- 
ties; but all the varieties except the one here and 
the two in the East, live in the tropics. We 
must, therefore, make the most of our only 
Tanager, which is, however, both beautiful and 
abundant. 



82 



Particular Description — Male — Upper parts, as in 
general description, except wings are crossed with 
two 3^ellow bars. 

Female — Olive-greenish above, pale yellow below; 
two faint wing-bars. No black and no red on this 
bird. 



Summer resident onl 



y. 



THE RUSSET=BACKED THRUSH. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: from russet to olive-brown. 
Under parts: light gray. 
Length, 7 inches. 

Found in young deciduous growth, and amongst 
the trees and shrubs of large places in towns and 
cities. 

The Thrushes (those known specifTcally by 
that name) are not so many in variety in Ore- 
gon and Washington as in the East. The Rus- 
set-backed Thrush, however, like some other va- 
rieties of birds alreadv mentioned, belongs ex- 
clusively to this side of the American conti- 
nent. It is a beautiful singer, as befits the fam- 
ily, and is very abundant. 

It resembles the Veery or Wilson's Thrush of 
the East in its call-note and its song, and is like 
the Wood Thrush in its familiar way of ap- 
proaching human dwellings and nesting upon 
grounds even within our cities. It arrives late 



83 



about the last of May. But once here, its call- 
note, a short whistle, a sound pearl-like for 
liquid roundness, may be heard from the lower 
limbs of town trees; and some days later, to- 
wards sunset, and long after, you will hear the 
Thrush-songs from many quarters. 

This bird sings at other times to be sure — as 
in the early morning with the other birds — but 
its song is mostly at night, and even late into 
the night; sometimes after darkness has entirely- 
settled down, the sweet and yet loud notes of 
this Thrush may be occasionally heard. As a 
singer it ranks amongst our half dozen best, and 
its arrival should be eagerly watched for, and its 
song enjoyed for the five or six weeks that it 
lasts. 

In some parts of Oregon and Washington, 
some may hear the even sweeter notes of the 
rare Dwarf Hermit Thrush; but most people 
will not have the privilege of hearing the song 
of any other member of this family than that of 
the Russet-backed Thrush. 

Particular Description — Head, back, wings and tail, 
sometimes more russet, sometimes more olive-brown; 
a whitish ring encircles the eye; sides, olive-gray; 
breast, pale buff and marked with small, triangular 
brown spots; underneath, white. 

Summer resident. 

84 



Some reference to the probable presence of 
a few of one or two species of imported Thrushes 
in certain parts of Oregon, will be made in an- 
other place. 

THE BULLOCK'S ORIOLE. 

General Description — 

Male — Black head and back; large white 
wing-patch; rest of body, bright 
orange-yellow and orange-red. 
Length, 8 inches. 

Found in willow, elm and other shade trees. 

Bird-lore is full of references to the Oriole. 
Because of their bright colors, their attractive 
song and unique nests, these birds have always 
commanded more or less appreciation, even 
from those who seldom notice birds in general. 

The East has the advantage of us in respect 
to Orioles, as it has in respect to Tanagers. The 
Baltimore Oriole has wide fame, and its more 
modest relative, the Orchard Oriole, is beloved 
of all who know his song. Rare specimens of 
the Bullock's Oriole equal, perhaps, the Balti- 
more Oriole in glory of color; but in song the 
bird is always inferior to its Eastern cousin. 

The Eastern Oriole's song is a rich whistle, 
while our Western bird utters a music so 
strangely remote from anything Oriole-like, that 

85 



one would never guess that it came from his 
throat unless he caught him in the act — as I did 
after three weeks' guessing what new and 
strange bird in the high shade trees sang not 
too generously his "Keu, keu-a-keu, keu, keu." 
The beauty of color, however, is great enough 
to excite our admiration* and its song is suffi- 
ciently sweet to delight our ear; while its nest 
(hung like a flexible basket, or even like a deep, 
round satchel, from the swaying limb of some 
tree) never fails to brnig out the exclamation, 
''What man could do that!" 

This bird sings and nests high, and some day 
a song in the tree-tops will please, and at the 
same time puzzle you, unless you can see the 
Western "Golden Robin" which utters it. But 
careful observation will reveal the singer and 
his curious nest. 

Particular Description — Male — Head, upper part of 
back and narrow throat patch, black; tail, black and 
yellow; a large white wing-patch; rest of body or- 
ange-yellow to orange-red. 

Summer resident. 



THE FLYCATCHERS. 



This is a peculiar and strongly marked fam- 
ily, the different members of which resemble 



86 



each other sufficiently to seem almost to be 
brothers and sisters from the same nest, varying 
in size and other ways only as much as brothers 
and sisters do in other than bird-families. They 
not only look alike, but they act so much alike 
that you may know, in a general way, the whole 
family by seeing one member of it. 

Their name indicates their habits, but not 
their appearance. You will see these birds in 
different sizes, and with slight variations in color 
and form, sitting quietly upon some tree-top or 
lower dead limb, hunched up as if sick, or en- 
tirely relaxed in sleep. But woe to the fly that 
should approach one of them, assuming this to 
be the case, for, quick as a flash, the apparently 
sleepy or sick bird darts at the insect, has it in 
his mouth and stomach, and is back again upon 
the very same perch, ready for the next unwary 
fly or gnat that ventures in his neighborhood. 

The Flycatchers all have, in general, upper 
parts from olive to dark slate color, darker head 
and tail, sometimes quite black, with more or 
less grayish-white on breast. In form they are, 
while sitting, awkward, and suggest a dwarf race. 
having apparently — owing to a short neck — a 
large head in proportion to the body; while the 
bird is in .repose the tail is dropped as low as 
the Wren's is held high, and the wings droop as 

87 



they do in a sick canary or chicken. They have 
no song, only a call, which is, in all of the varie- 
ties described in this book (with the exception of 
an occasional note from the Pewee), rather stri- 
dent, and quite in harmony with the whole man- 
ner of the bird. 

They are a very interesting family. In the 
East and in California one species (the Phoebe 
bird) is domestic, and joins the Wrens, Blue- 
birds and Swallows in building nests in and 
about the homes of men. 

THE WESTERN WOOD PEWEE. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: olive-brown; darker on 

head, wings and tail. 
Under parts: olive-gray, interrupted with 
slight whitish central-line, from the 
throat down. 
Length, 6.5 inches. 
Found in woods, also on trees and telegraph wires 
about towns and cities. 

The Pewee is the most common of the Fly- 
catcher family in the Willamette Valley, and 
perhaps elsewhere. It seems impossible to a 
person familiar with the Pewee of the East that 
the one on the Pacific Coast can bear the same 
name, since his usual cry or call is so entirely 
different, and his habit of coming into cities and 



sitting upon telegraph-wires so altogether un- 
like the Eastern variety. In the East, the 
Pewee is found in the lonely woods, where its 
ever-sad call may be heard, sounding literally 
like 'Tewee/' slowly and mournfully reiterated. 
But here the customary call is a rather strident 
sound, and not unlike the cry which a Night- 
hawk makes while searching the upper air for 
his insect food. Very occasionally the true 
Pewee note is heard. 

Dwellers in cities are fortunate, however, in 
not having to go to the woods to watch the 
fly-catching habit of this little creature; and, in 
learning his way, they learn the way of all the 
family. See him dart from his perch! Then 
hear his bill snap as he seizes the unlucky insect, 
and, without pausing an instant, makes the loop 
back to the place that he has just left. 
Particular Description — As in general description 
above, with this addition; white throat and underneath, 
the latter tinged with yellow. 

Summer resident. 

THE OLIVE=SIDED FLYCATCHER. 

General Description- 
Very like the Western Wood Pewee. A 

little larger. 
Length, 7 inches. 
Found in evergreen tree-tops. 



This Flycatcher is common in this section, 
but may not seem so to one who does not know- 
that this is a bird of the tops of tall evergreens, 
where it nests and from whence it feeds. 

This manner of life will enable us always to 
recognize him, even should we not bring him 
near through our glass. 

Mr. Herman Bohlman, of Portland, one of the 
most accurate and thoroughly informed stu- 
dents of local ornithology, says of this bird: ''He 
can always be recognized by his exceedingly 
loud call-note, which sounds like 'wee-chew/ 
the first syllable being long drawn out and 
strongly accented." 

In color, the bird so nearly resembles the 
Pewee that one must almost w^ait for the wings 
to be spread to discover the distinguishing white 
flank-tufts which are concealed by the wings 
while the bird is at rest. Another difference is 
in the white central-line down the breast, which 
is more distinct in this member of the family. 

TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: olive. 
Under parts: white and yellow. 
Length, 6 inches. 
This Flycatcher is probably not to be found in 
every locality alike in this section, but is abundant 



90 



in some parts. Mr. Anthony is authority for this 
statement. 

It will be difficult for many of us to distin- 
guish this bird from other Flycatchers. In or- 
der to make the way as easy as possible I give 
Ridgway's more technical 

Particular Description — "Above, olive, usually decid- 
edly grayer on head; wing-bands, varying from dull, 
brownish-gray to nearly white; lower parts, white, 
tinged, more or less^ with sulphur-yellow underneath, 
and shaded with olive-grayish on sides of breast; un- 
der wing-coverts, very pale buffy-yellow." 

Summer resident. 

THE WESTERN FLYCATCHER. 

Particular Description — Head, back and rump, gray- 
ish-olive; pale wing-bands; breast, dull 3ellowish; un- 
derneath, more sulphur-yellow; a circle of dull yellow 
about the eye. 

Length, 5i- to 6 inches. 
Ridgway says that it nests in clefts of old logs or 
stumps and that its nests are made of moss and are 
bulky. Keeler says, ''nests on mossy bank by stream." 

THE ARKANSAS KINGBIRD. 

General Description — 

Head, neck and breast, light ashy-gray; 

tail, black; underneath, yellow. 
Length, 8 to 9.5 inches. 
Found here and there throughout these States. 



This is the more common giant Flycatcher of 
these States, as well as one of the kings of birds. 
Though a "King of the Birds/' he is not, as is 
generally supposed, a tyrant king, imless he is 
very unlike his Eastern counterpart, ''The King- 
bird/' On the other hand, like the bulldog 
among dogs (unless the bulldog has been spoiled 
in training), the bird is just and tolerant. But not 
even the predaceous crow dare face this defend- 
er of his own and other birds' eggs and young. 
His agility on the wing is unequaled; and no 
offender may hope to dodge his fierce thrusts . 
at body, head and eyes. 

The Kingbird of the East is not generally dis- 
tributed in this section, but is comparatively rare 
except in the eastern parts, where it is common, 
and about Puget Sound, where it is reported as 
less rare than in the Willamette Valley. In the 
Atlantic States, he is to be found at every turn, 
and is sometimes called the ''Bee Martin," and 
farmers often make the same fatal mistake re- 
specting this bird that they do with respect to 
others, and destroy him. The examination of 
the stomachs of over two hundred Kingbirds by 
Professor Beal, of the Agricultural Department 
at Washington, revealed the fact that only four- 
teen of the total number had any bees at all in 
them, and those were mostly drones ; while sixty 



92 



per cent of the contents of these stomachs con- 
sisted of injurious insects. Every protection 
should be given to these benefactors of the farm- 
er, and they will more and more come to live 
and nest in our orchards. 

These birds can be readily distinguished from, 
the other members of their family by their size. 
They are much larger. 

The following description is of the Arkansas 
Kingbird : 

Particular Description — Head, neck and breast, as 
above, light ashy-gray; crown, a concealed scarlet 
'patch; back, olive-gray; tail, black, with white web 
of outer tail-feathers; underneath, yellow. 

Summer resident. 

THE KINGBIRD. 

The Kingbird may be distinguished from the 
Arkansas Kingbird by the absence of yellow 
underneath — 'Sving-coverts edged or bordered 
with pure white or grayish- white." 



THE VIREOS. 



There is a numerous family in America of 
ittle olivaceous-backed birds, that keep a sharp 



93 



eye for insects upon the outer surface of the 
foliage of the trees. They are nearly all sweet, 
cheery and persistent singers. Their nests are, 
with those of the Rush-Tit and the Oriole, pen- 
dent, pocket-like affairs, and the nests of the 
different varieties of Vireos are so much alike 
that we may not hope to tell ''which is which/^ 
unless we catch the birds upon, or near bv, these 
most interesting homes. 

Our two states seem to have only two of the 
family which are common. Gassings and the 
Warbline A ireo. There is one other here, less 
common, known as Hutton's, and another very 
rare, bearing- the name of Mr. A. W. Anthony — 
x\nthonv's A^ireo. 



THE WARBLING VIREO. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: clear Q-rayish-olive. 
Under parts: whitish. The sides are yel- 
lowish. 
Length, 5 to 5.5 inches. 
Found in tops of shade-trees in town, soon after 
arrival. Then they disappear for nesting, and return 
later. 

This member of the \^ireo family is distrib- 
uted over nearly the whole of North America. T 
have heard him sing- in New England, in the 



94 



Southern Middle States and in Minnesota. And 
here again ''His continuous flowing warble with 
an alto undertone" (Chapman), may be heard 
late in May in the thick foliage of our shade- 
trees; but he may not easily be seen, even with 
a glass. His song will be heard there morning 
and afternoon, though not toward evening. It 
is said by some to resemble that of the Purple 
Finch. 

Particular Description — Head, brownish-gray; a 
faint whitish line over eye; back, clear olive-gray; 
wings, greenish-olive; breast, dull white; pale yellow- 
ish sides. 

Summer resident. 

CASSIN'S VIREO. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: bluish head and grayish- 
olive back. 
Under parts: dull white with yellowish 

sides. 
Length, 5 to 5.6 inches. 
Found in partly open country, in deciduous trees 
of rather low growth. 

Cassin's Vireo is another bird that belongs 
chiefly to the Pacific Coast. It is, like the birds 
of other families already named belonging to 
the Western part of the continent, a bird to re- 



95 



joice in. His song is characteristically vireoish 
— a kind of warble with a touch of the metallic 
in it. 

He may be distinguished from the warbling 
Vireo by his lower perch, by his less flowing 
song, and also by his markings (which are alto- 
gether his own). 

Particular Description — As above, bluish head; a con- 
spicuous white line about his eye, and two white wing- 
bars. 

Summer resident. 

THE LAZULI BUNTING. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: azure-blue. 

Under parts: rufous and white. 

Length, 5.5 inches. 

Found in low growths of deciduous trees. 

If it is a question of beauty of coloring, no 
other bird may hope to surpass to human eyes 
this little bit of heaven's blue, with his soft, 
tawny breast and clear white underparts. 

He comes to us rather late in May from the 
Southern land, where he spends his winters, and 
may occasionally be seen about suburban houses 
and orchards before he has found his nesting- 
place. Once seen, he will always be recognized 
and remembered. 



96 




r 



Black-headed Grosbeak. 



^ 



His song is vivacious, varied, well articulated 
and sweet. I have heard one say over and over, 
''Here! here! why-e, don't you come here?'' 

The female carries no such wealth of color as 
her companion and cannot answer him with his 
free song. 

Particular Description — Male — Head, neck and upper 
parts, turquoise, or azure, blue; the back, darker and 
duller; distinct white wing-bar, sometimes a second 
fainter one; breast (sometimes sides), tawny; under- 
neath, white. 

Female — Duller grayish-brown on back, tinged 
with bluish on rump; breast, pale buff. 

Summer resident. 

THE BLACK=HEADED GROSBEAK. 

General Description — 

Male — Upper parts: head and back, 
black; neck, orange-buffy; wings 
and tail, with white patches. 
Under parts: orange-brown and yellow. 
Length, 8 inches. 
May often be seen singing upon the taller trees left 
standing in the midst of younger growth. It nests in 
low growth, sometimes near water. 

Some say that the most beautiful singer 
amongst the birds of the Eastern States is the 
Rose-breasted Grosbeak. A member of the 
same family, belonging exclusively to the West- 

97 



ern part of the Continent, holds something Hke a 
corresponding position in this section. Though 
it is less varied, his song has the same general 
quality as that of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak. 
The song is not unlike that of the Robin in its 
general form; but there is a mellowness about 
it, and running through it "a rich undertone/" 
as a competent judge describes it, which should 
charm every listener. When the writer first came 
to this Coast, he mistook, for an instant, the 
song of the local bird for that of the Rose- 
breasted Grosbeak, owing to this mellow under- 
tone. 

The male bird's color is notable for its rich- 
ness, being made up of alternate large patches 
of black and orange or red-bufif. The form and 
carriage of the male is both attractive and com- 
manding. His body looks graceful and longer 
than it really is, as he sits upon his perch, sing- 
ing his love-song, like a master-bird as well as 
a master-musician. The accompanying picture 
gives an excellent impression of the bird. 

Particular Description — Male — Head, black, some- 
times a line of light orange-brown in center of crown 
and back of eye; collar, back of neck, cinnamon-color; 
back, black mixed with light cinnamon, sometimes all 
black; rump, cinnamon; wings and tail, black, varied 
with white; breast, cinnamon; underneath, yellow, 
also inside of wings. 

98 



Female — Olive-brown, instead of black; under 
parts, whitish, streaked on sides; lining of wings, lem- 
on-color. 

Summer resident. 



THE CEDAR WAXWINQ (Cherry Bird). 

General Description — 

A crested bird. General color, grayish- 
brown, tinged with plum color. 
Very neat appearance and quiet 
manner when perching. 
Length, 7 inches. 
Found all over settled parts of the country in small 
flocks, except in nesting-season in June. 

Combined exquisiteness of dress, gentleness 
of disposition, politeness of manners, almost lisp- 
ing song and whispered conversation distinguish 
the Cedar Waxwing from all other birds. The 
Bluebird has been previously described as gen- 
tlemanly or ladylike, and so it is, in looks and 
general manner. But the Waxwing outranks it 
in these respects and in the others named. 

With regard to his dress, some might call 
the bird a ''dandy," so exquisitely neat and per- 
fect is he. But a second thought will cause us 
to regard his attire rather as a work of fine art: 
the perfect crest, the vinaceous tint in the pre- 
dominating soft gray-brown plumage, the vel- 

Lore. 



vety black line across the eye and around the 
forehead, the dainty red waxlike spots upon the 
wings as if each one had been placed there from 
without by the divine Master Artist Himself, the 
finished yellow edge upon the tail, — together 
give an impression of perfect quiet beauty that 
is unique in our experience of birds. 

As to manners, Nuttall describes their polite- 
ness to each other as they go about in flocks. 
He says he has often seen them passing a worm 
along the line from one to another and back 
again before it was finally eaten. 

Their song is a lisping ''Twee-twee-ze." Their 
communications while in social tete-a-tete upon 
a tree are. as suggested, in a whisper evidently 
intended only for each other's ears. 

Owing to their food habits they are, like 
Robins, rovers when not nesting. They must 
find cedarberries, canker-worms, wild or culti- 
vated fruit; and they fare forth for these with a 
range even wider than the Swallow's, as night- 
fall does not call them back to any fixed roost- 
ing-place. 

The bird's fondness for cherries arouses the 
hostility of some men. But again we ask, is it 
right to destroy such a perfect ''thing of beauty" 
and such an enemy of the deadliest foe of shade 
and fruit trees^the canker-worm-^because the 



lOO 



bird does sometimes take a share of the fruit 
that it helps to raise? 

Particular Description — Male — Above, grayish-brown, 
varying with plum-colored tints to ashy; black fore- 
head; chin, black; breast, lighter than back; under- 
neath, yellowish; under tail-coverts, white; yellow 
tips on tail. 

Female — Duller plumage, smaller crest and nar- 
rower yellow band on tail. 

Mostly a summer resident. 



THE WARBLERS. 



Two of this family (the Audubon's Warbler 
and the Western Yellow-throat) have already 
been described, because they come so early to 
our latitude, and so certain are they to be the 
first to attract attention. There are others of 
this family which we must recognize, some of 
which are very abundant though arriving later 
in our neighborhoods. 

No one can tell just why the Warblers are 
called Warblers; they do not many of them (and 
they are a large family) warble in song more 
than other birds, while some do not warble at 
all. But they are alike in their habits. They 



are the birds of the trees and the leaves. They 
hve among the leaves and feed upon the insects 
which they gather from them. Except when up- 
on a nest, or at night, they are ever in motion, 
searching leaf after leaf for their food. 

They are all small birds, all of them well 
dressed, many of them exquisitely plumaged. 
Besides the two mentioned, the following are 
more or less common in Oregon and Washing- 
ton, and may be quite easily identified: The 
Yellow, Lutescent, Macgillivray's, Black-throat- 
ed Gray and Pileolated Warblers; also the Long- 
tailed Chat. 



THE YELLOW, OR SUMMER, WARBLER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: yellow and olive-green. 
Under parts: light yellow. 
Length, 4.75 to 5.2 inches. 
Found in shade-trees, orchards and edges of woods. 

This beautiful little bit of animated sunshine 
makes glad the summer days everywhere 
through temperate North America from ocean 
to ocean, except where there are no deciduous 
trees. It may be before the foliage is well de- 
veloped that he will arrive from the tropics of 
the Southern Continent. He is our most com- 



102 



mon Warbler, whose rather metalHc and oft-re- 
peated '"Wee-chee, chee, cher-wee" may be 
heard from nearly every shade tree m our cities, 
as well as along the country roads and in the 
orchards. 

As abundant as he is, you may not at once 
espy this persistent singer, as he loves the ob- 
scurity of the thick leaves. 

No one should mistake him for the Gold- 
finch or "Wild Canary/' as is sometimes done, 
for this bird has no black upon him, and his 
habits and flight are entirely different. 

Particular Description — Male — Brighter yellow on 
head and neck; back, tinged with olive-green; wings 
and tail, dusky olive-brown; breast and underneath, 
bright yellow, streaked with brown. 

Female — Like male, only duller and no streaks 
below. 

Summer resident. 

THE LUTESCENT WARBLER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: light olive-green. 
Under parts: bright greenish-yellow. 
Length, 5 inches. 
Found in trees of thick foliage. 

While listening to and searching for the Yel- 
low Warbler, we shall hear another and oft-re- 



^03 



peated song in the same trees; and if we are not 
careful, when we see its author, we shall con- 
fuse it with the female of the Yellow Warbler. 
It is of nearly the same size as that bird, — a 
little smaller. It is yellow, too, but of a darker 
olive-greenish tint throughout, and his song is 
not to be mistaken, once it is recognized. The 
bird hides more persistently in the foliage than 
the Yellow Warbler, and will be more difficult 
to catch under the opera-glass. But he may 
be found visiting the leaves of apple or other 
fruit trees, for fare for himself and young, and 
may then be particularly observed. Arrives in 
first part of April. 

r'articular Description — As in general description, al- 
so an '^obscure crown-patch of orange-brown" (Keel- 
er). 

Female — Duller color. 

Summer resident. 

MACGILLIVRAY S WARBLER. 

General Description — 

Head, dark gray; back, olive-green; 

black spot between eye and bill. 
Length, 5.75 inches. 
Found in bushes and thick low growth. 
When looking for other birds some day, you 
will find one that will strike vour attention im- 



104 



TQediately because of the black spot referred to 
in the general description. This will at once 
identify him, and he will seem to you, probably, 
less restless than the other Warblers you have 
found. You may, at your leisure, learn his song 
and habits. 

Particular Description — As in general description, al- 
so throat and upper part of breast, dark gray; below 
this, bright yellow. 

Summer resident. 

BLACK=THROATED GRAY WARBLER. 

General Description — 

Black throat; black, white and gray all 
over, except yellow spot in front of 
eye. 
Length, 4.7 to 5.4 inches. 
Found in evergreen tree-tops. 

Some time when you are under the evergreens, 
you will notice some little restless creatures, 
TQostly high up in the spiny limbs. Your glass 
will bring them to your recognition as the 
Black-throated Gray Warblers. This variety of 
Warbler lives, feeds and nests in those high 
places over your head. This strange and far- 
away habit will at the same time interest and 
tease you, so beyond convenient range does it 
take these tiny birds. Hard enough would it be 



105 



to see them well, were their restless bodies near- 
er the earth. But are we not always more curi- 
ous about the creatures that are not near? 

Particular Description — Head, black; yellow spot in 
front of eye; back, bluish-gray streaked with black; 
throat, black; breast and under parts, white; sides, 
streaked with black. 

Female — Colors duller, and throat mixed somewhat 
with white. 

Summer resident. 



THE LONG=TAILED CHAT. 

General Description — 

All above, olive-gray; long tail; breast, 
bright yellow; under parts, white; 
bill, rather long, and upper man- 
dible, curved. 
Length, 7.5 inches. 
Found, usually, in and about thickets around 
swamps and streams. 

Some day this strange bird will reveal himself 
to you, not alone in his wild, varied and chat- 
tering song, but in his really funny antics upon 
the wing. He is, of all the birds that we shall 
know, "the funny bird." He sings a rollicking, 
imitative and frolicsome song, running through 
how many, keys and forms, only those know 
who have heard him. Some have tried to write 



106 



down the medley of the Yellow-breasted Chat of 
the East, which is very like our own in song and 
habits. Mr. Burroughs has expressed it thus: 
"Now he barks like a puppy, then quacks like a 
duck, then rattles like a kingfisher, then squalls 
like a fox, then caws like a crow, then mews like 

a cat C-r-r-r-r-r-whrr — that's it — chee — 

quack, cluck, yit-yit-yit — now hit it — tr-r-r — 
when — caw — caw — cut, cut — tea-boy — who, 
who — mew, mew\'' 

His actions befit his song; often upon the 
wing, a little way above the thicket, he will 
tumble in air, dropping his legs, flapping his 
wings, and all the time chattering his rollicking 
song. 

When you see him in the bushes, his manner is 
that of ''a mischief.'' He looks as if he might, 
if he could trust himself to do it, tickle your 
ear or play hide-the-handkerchief with you. 

Our funny bird cannot be satisfied with the 
day to sing in. Many times in the night, and 
particularly upon moonlight nights, you may hear 
his good spirits bubbling over in his varied song. 

Though the Chat is classed w^ith the Warblers, 
one can hardly think of him as belonging to 
this family. 

Particular Description — Male — As in general descrip- 
tion; also two white lines on face, one above the eye, 

107 



one below; eyelids, white; lores (spot between eye 
and bill), black; under tail-coverts, white. 
Female — Duller colors. 

Summer resident. 

THE PILEOLATED WARBLER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: black cap and bright olive- 
green back. 
Under parts: bright yellow. 
Length, 5 inches. 
Found in swampy woods. 

This Warbler is the Western variety of the 
Eastern Wilson, or Black-capped Warbler, and 
will not be found in Oregon, or in Southern 
Washington, perhaps, except in migration. But 
in Northern Washington, about Puget Sound, 
he is not rare, nesting in these parts. 

Particular Description — Forehead, bright yellow, in 
males; center of crown, black; back, bright olive- 
green; under parts, bright yellow. 

Summer resident. 



THE DOVE FAMILY. 



There are two members of this family found 
within the boundaries prescribed in this book, 



108 



the Mourning Dove and the Band-tailed 
Pigeon. 

THE MOURNING DOVE, OR TURTLE DOVE. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: except head, soft olive- 
brownish. 
Under parts: vinaceous or plum color. 

Long tail. 
Length, 12.5 inches. 
Found everywhere in farming and more or less 
open country. 

Everywhere, in temperate North America, in 
the summer season, we may see and hear the 
bird, which is truly named the ''Mourning'' 
Dove. To many, the cooing is too sadly sug- 
gestive to be agreeable, but to one who has 
learned to associate this sound with love-mak- 
ing, rather than with lament, it is one of the 
sweet voices of Nature and could not well be 
spared. The devotion of the Dove is proverbial 
and is used to characterize extraordinary human 
connubial love. These birds are loyal lovers, for 
even when the nesting-season is over they do 
not gather in flocks, as do other Pigeons, but 
are often seen in pairs. 

With respect to this bird, farmers mak^ a 
mistake, too. Because it picks up wheat upon 
the surface of the field or even takes some (more 



109 



or less) after it is covered, the Dove is, in some 
places, looked upon as an enemy. But no bird 
does more in devouring noxious weed-seed than 
this one. An examination of many crops of this 
species by the Agricultural Department at 
Washington showed the contents of the crop of 
one Dove to be seven thousand mullein seeds. 
When it is known that a Dove fills his crop 
several times each clay, the usefulness of this 
bird may be imagined. 

The Mourning Dove is beautiful withal and 
too innocent and gentle in habit to make the 
killing of it, for food, a sport. 

Particular Description — Forehead, reddish-buff; head, 
greenish-blue; rest of vipper parts, as in general de- 
scription, except sides of neck, iridescent, with black 
spot underneath each ear; breast, vinaceous; under- 
neath, buff; long pointed tail, outer feathers, white. 

Summer resident. 

THE BAND=TA1LED PIGEON. 

General Description — 

Male — Upper parts: lead color, with pur- 
plish tints on head and neck; bluish 
on rump. 
Under parts: purplish, varying from 

greenish-blue to bluish-green. 
Length, i6 inches. 
Found in the oaks, where it feeds on acorns, and 
sometimes about farm fields. 



no 



The Band-tailed Pigeon corresponds to the 
Wild Pigeon of the East, so famous for num- 
bers before ruthless man nearly destroyed it, as 
he has entirely destroyed the BufTalo. 

Audubon and others report that the Wild 
Pigeons of the East once darkened the sky for 
hours Jn their flight, and broke, with their 
weight, the limbs of trees upon hundreds of 
acres of forests. The bird is now comparatively 
rare. The reason for this fearful, cruel, and 
wasteful destruction, was largely the habits of 
the birds in living the year around in one im- 
mense colony. It is said that the Band-tailed 
Pigeons nest in something like small colonies, 
remain together in moderate-sized flocks after 
the nesting-season, are sometimes seen in num- 
bers innumerable, and are often slaughtered by 
the score. Let the people of the Northwest have 
a care, before it is too late. 

Particular Description — As above, in general descrip- 
tion; with white collar on back of neck; tail, square, 
with a black band one-third from the end. 

Summer resident. 

THE WESTERN NIQHTHAWK. 

General Description — 

Mottled gray, with wide wings; on the 

wing high in air, toward nightfall. 
Length, ID inches. 
Found everywhere in the States. 



Ill 



Some of us associate with nightfall in our 
boyhood two sounds from the sky which seemed 
mysterious, and one of them sometimes per^ 
haps a little dreadful. One was the steadily 
repeated nasal 'Taent" (Chapman), and the 
other the occasional sudden booming or whir- 
ring sound which the Nighthawk, out of sight,, 
would send down to our ears. We may from 
this boyish experience understand how the In- 
dians became superstitious respecting the latter 
sound, and thought it was "the Shad Spirit 
warning the shoals of shad, about to ascend the 
rivers to spawn, of their impending fate.'' 

But later we came to know the useful and 
beautiful bird that, in its splendid free flight 
over country and city, uttered his friendly 
though somewhat strident note, and ever and 
anon — whether for sport, or for an insect, who 
can tell? — would drop head-foremost from a 
great height (sometimes several hundred feet),, 
holding wings and tail stifif and at an angle 
that would produce the booming and jarring 
sound referred to. This bird has many names 
in the East — the Night Jar, the Bull Bat, Mos- 
quito Hawk, and others. 

Man's blindness to his friends, the birds, is 
again illustrated by the way in which some even 



now regard the Nighthawk as an enemy to poul- 
try. 

The Nighthawk is unfortunately named, for 
he is not a Hawk at all; and, strictly speaking, 
he never flies at night, only after sunset and 
near nightfall, and sometimes into the dusk. His 
bill and claws could not handle meat, neither is 
his throat capable of swallowing it. He is wholly 
an insectivorous bird. 

During the bright parts of the day, he sits up- 
on limbs of trees, or upon the roof of a house, or 
even again, in the country, upon a rock, quite 
motionless. 

Nighthawks nest upon the ground in rocky 
pastures and uplands. They are related closely 
to the Whippoorwill, which unhappily, is not 
to be found upon this Coast. • 

The Western Nighthawk differs from the 
Eastern in being a little lighter in color. 

Particular Description — Head, broad; bill, small, 
curved and pointed; upper parts, mottled, with light 
grayish-buffy or yellow markings predominating; 
lower parts — throat, white; upper breast, narrow bars 
of buffy and black alternating; lower breast-bars, 
wider. 

Summer resident. 

113 



VAUX'S SWIFT. 

General Description — 

On the wing, appears to be black, with 
short tail and long wings. It has a 
rapid flight, and is to be seen on 
cloudy days and near nightfall. 
IvCngth, a little more than 4 inches. 
Found flying high over woods or houses, and nest- 
ina: in hollow^ trees. 

No one will ever see this bird except on the 
Aving, unless he handles a dead one or some- 
times does as Audubon once did at night, that 
is, visit some tree which has been prepared for 
investigation, and with a hght look up to the 
crowded tenement of these bat-like creatures 
above. Audubon found, by count, nine thou- 
sand of the Eastern species in one tree. 

The Eastern variety of the Swift is very like 
Vaux's, and is popularly known as the ''Chim- 
ney Swallow," because there these birds take 
possession of chimneys unused in summer time 
and proceed to glue their nests against the sides 
of the chimney flues. The nests are made of 
twigs snapped off trees while the birds are on 
the wing. In the fireplace-rooms below, the 
fluttering and tw^ittering of these happy crea- 
tures can often be heard. 

Though called Swallows, they are very unlike 

114 



the Swallow in every respect, except that they 
feed in the air and have weak feet. They can- 
not perch, but rest and sleep hanging on the side 
of the tree or chimney, propped by the stiff 
spines at the end of their tail-feathers, using 
these as do some of the Woodpeckers when the 
latter cling to a tree-trunk. The stretch of 
their wings is something amazing compared 
with their length, — the distance from tip to tip 
being more than twelve inches, while from tip 
of bill to end of tail-feathers, when stretched out, 
they measure only a little more than four inches. 
This extraordinary wing enables them to per- 
form miracles of flight. It is said they some- 
times cover a thousand miles in tvv^enty-four 
hours. 

The Swift on the wing suggests by his gen- 
eral appearance the Bat. As he flies he utters a 
single note rapidly. 

Particular Description — General coloration, dusky- 
grayish; throat, pale grayish; rump and upper tail- 
coverts, lighter than the back. 

Summer resident. 

THE BLACK SWIFT. 

This Swift is darker than the Vaux's, and 
much larger, — its length being seven inches and 
more. It is a bird of splendid flight and lofty 



T15 



habitat. Mr. Anthony states that it nests in 
crevices of the highest cHffs in high mountains, 
and is sometimes called ''the Cloud Bird," on 
account of its lofty flight and dwelling-place. 

Its form is different from that of the Vaux's 
Swift. The spines at the end of the tail do not 
extend beyond the web of the feathers. 

Many years ago, this Swift was reported as 
abundant and nesting in the cliflfs along the 
Klamath River, in southern Oregon, or north-- 
ern California. It is known in the West Indies, 
and Mr. J. H. Bowdes reports it on Puget 
Sound. Ridgw^ay gives its American habitat as 
from Colorado to British Columbia. It may be 
found here and there throughout our section. 

Description — ''Uniform dusky or blackish, becoming 
more sooty-grayish on head and neck; the forehead 
more hoary." — Ridgway. 

Summer resident. 



THE CHICKADEES. 

Any one who knows the little animated bunch 
of feathers that, with his cheery manner and 
happy song, may be seen in the winter time, 
scouring the limbs of our fruit-trees for the 

ii6 



eggs which will later, unless destroyed, be- 
come canker-worms and other pests of the orch- 
ards, is the friend of one bird, at least, — the 
Chickadee. 

His dress befits his manner, and, taking him 
altogether, one might be justified for once in 
using the phrase, ''a love of a bird." 

In the colder regions of the Eastern States, 
nothing gives miore cheer to a frigid winter 
morning, with the mercury at 20 degrees below 
zero, than this happy little creature, singing out 
into the cold air his oft-repeated ''Chick-a-dee — 
dee-dee," while he moves from limb to limb. 

May he often find that, in gratitude for his 
merry song and his helpfulness in the orchard, 
some human friend has tied a small piece of 
beef-suet upon a tree to add a little variety to 
his menu. With a little leading and care, this 
tempting provision, placed upon a board at the 
window, wall bring the Chickadees, also the 
Nuthatches, to close fellowship with you. 

There are two varieties of the Chickadee in 
our section, the Oregon and the Chestnut- 
backed. They are enough alike in their looks 
and habits to deceive any one who does not see 
them near to or through a glass. But the Chest- 
nut color is sufficiently clear to mark the dis- 
tinction, once it is seen. The ''Chickadee" call is 



117 



not so clear in the Chestnut-backed as in the Ore- 
gon, and neither gives so distinct an articulation 
to this word, that gave these birds their name, 
as does the Eastern Black-capped Chickadee. 

The two varieties do not mingle much, but 
each, after nesting, loves the company of its own 
kind, and as we have seen elsewhere, that of the 
Nuthatches as well. 

THE OREGON CHICKADEE. 

Particular Description — Head, neck, throat and upper' 
breast, black; back and tail, gray; a V-shaped white 
section with the point at the bill, extends back to the 
shoulder; lower breast, white; underneath, butfy. 

Length, 4.5 to 5.25 inches. 

Permanent resident. 

THE CHE5TNUT=BACKED CHICKADEE. 

r articular Description — The same as the Oregon 
Chickadee, except head, brownish-black instead of 
black; back and sides, chestnut; underneath, light 
gray. Length, 4.5 to 5 inches. 

Permanent resident. 



THE NUTHATCHES. 



What are these birds, in whose company the 
Chickadees and the Kinglets rove in winter 



118 



time? The Nuthatches are creepers, and have 
long bills which are a great advantage in prob- 
ing in the crevices of the bark for the in- 
sects that the Chickadees and Kinglets, with 
their short bills, cannot reach. The Nuthatch 
has slightly elongated toe-nails, which may ac- 
count for the great ease with which it runs up 
or down tree-trunks. They are called Hatches 
or Hackers because some of the species use their 
bills to hack or crack nuts which they have pre- 
viously hidden in crevices. 

Edith M. Thomas has written a poem, ''To the 
Nuthatch/' which so perfectly describes this bird 
of the tree-trunk, that it is inserted here: 

"Shrewd little haunter of woods all gray 
Whom I meet on my walk of a winter day — 
You're busy inspecting each cranny and hole 
In the ragged bark of yon hickory pole ; 
You intent on your task, and I on the law 
Of your wonderful head and gymnastic claw ! 

The wcodpecker well may despair of this feat — 
Only the fly with you can compete ! 
So much is clear ; but I fain would know 
How you can so reckless and fearless go, 
Head upward, head downward, all one to you, 
Zenith and nadir the same in your view ?" 

There are tw^o varieties of the Nuthatch in our 
States — the Red-breasted, and the less common 
Slender-billed Nuthatch. 



119 



THE RED=BREASTED NUTHATCH. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: black and brownish. 

Under parts: rufous, or light rusty red. 

Length, 4 to 4.5 inches. 
Found on trunks and large limbs of trees, both 
evergreens and deciduous. 

This little creature, creeping swiftly along 
the under side of a limb as a fly runs along the 
ceiling, uttering his ''Tai-tai-tait" (Blanchan), 
is truly about as curious a specimen of bird-life 
as we shall find among Land-birds. His long, 
sharp bill has such incessant use that it is a 
wonder it does not wear down and become 
short. 

Particular Description — Male — Head and neck, 
black; black stripe passing through eye to shoulder, 
and white stripe over eye; back and upper wing-co- 
verts, lead color; tail, black, barred with white near 
the end, tipped with pale brown; below, pale reddish- 
brown. 

Female — Top of head, srray. 

Permanent resident. 

THE SLENDER=BILLED NUTHATCH. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: gray. 
Under parts: white. 
Length, 5.5 inches. 
Found on tree trunks, etc. 



This Nuthatch is not equally common in all 
parts of our States, but is not infrequently found 
— perhaps more frequently — in the eastern parts 
of this section. It is the Western species of the 
Eastern White-breasted Nuthatch. 

The name Slender-billed describes one main 
characteristic of the bird. Its habits are sub- 
stantially the same as those of the Red-breasted 
Nuthatch. 

Particular Description — Male — Top of head and neck, 
"black ; back, slate color; wings, dark slate; white 
l>reast and under parts. 

Permanent resident. 



THE KINGLETS. 

In winter or in early spring, one looking for 
birds will often come across some little crea- 
tures with charming dress and ways, whose 
names and unrevealed beauties one should 
make haste to know. They are the small- 
est of birds after the Hummingbirds and 
Winter Wrens. In winter they are often in 
the good company of the Chickadees, and some- 
times of the Nuthatches, — as if relatives., in a 



way. And a happy family they are, without jeal- 
ousy or even occasional contention. 

The Golden-crowned and the Ruby-crowned 
Kinglets answer the Chickadee's ''Chick-a-dee,. 
dee, dee" with their own peculiarly bright ''Ti, 
ti" or ''Zei, zei," and in IMarch may be heard 
their exquisite songs. 

THE WESTERN GOLDEN=CROWNED KINGLET. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: decidedly olivaceous. 
Under parts: ''strong buffy tinge," and 

a golden crown. 
Length, 3.15 to 4.50 inches. 
Found in trees, often in evergreens. 

The Western Golden-crowned Kinglet differs 
from the Eastern only in having somewhat 
brighter colors. Its song is just the same and 
its habits identical. Like the Chickadee, zero 
weather has no effect upon its cheerful spirit. It 
is as restless as the Chickadees and the Nut- 
hatches that it keeps company with. It hangs 
upon the smallest twigs searching for insects. 

In the East, they do not hear the Golden- 
crowmed Kinglet's song, or see its nest, except 
in the northern parts of the Northern States and 
in the Alleghany mountains, whither it goes in 
May. The Western species undoubtedly nests 



in parts of our States, though its nests are not 
yet reported. 

Mr. Brewster describes the song of the bird as 
beginning with a succession of five or six fine 
trills, high-pitched, somewhat faltering notes, 
and ending with a short, rapid, rather explosive 
warble. The song is out of proportion to the 
bird's size. It is an attractive little singer; but 
does not equal its relative the Ruby-crowned 
Kinglet, in this important respect. 

Particular Description — Male — Head, neck, back and 
rump, bright olive; wings and tail, slightly dusky, 
margined with olive-green; breast and under parts, ^. 
brownish-buffy; center of crown, intense orange, bor- 
dered with bright yellow, enclosed by black line; white 
line over the eye. 

Female — Similar, but center of crown, lemon-yel- 
low, and grayish underneath. 

Permanent resident. 

THE RUBY=CROWNED KINGLET. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: generally the same in color 
as, but a little duller than, the Gold- 
en-crowned Kinglet. 
Under parts: light yellowish-gray; ver- 
milion-red crown, usually con- 
cealed. 
Length, 3.75 to 4.6 inches. 
Found generally distributed. 



123 



The habits of this bird are nearly identical 
with those of the Golden-crowned Kinglet, but 
he is a superior singer. His song is a marvel 
of beauty and strength; he is always generous 
with it, even in winter pouring his sweet notes 
upon the cold air, perhaps in memory of past, or 
in contemplation of future, love and home. 

Dr. Coues (one of America's great bird-stu- 
dents) remarks, concerning the phenomenal 
strength of the song of this little bird: ''The 
sound-producing organ is not larger than a pm- 
head, and the muscles that move it are almost 
' microscopic shreds of flesh, yet its song may be 
heard two hundred yards"; and ''the Kinglet's 
exquisite vocalization defies description." 

Particular Description — Male — Head, neck and back, 
grayish-olive; crown-spot, bright ''scarlet-vermilion," 
usually concealed, no enclosing colors; a fine white 
ring around the eye; two whitish wing-bars; breast 
and underneath, yellowish-gray. 

Female — Similar, but without vermilion crest. 

Partly a permanent resident. 



THE BUSH=TIT. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: brownish-gray. 
Under parts: light smoky-brown. 
Length, 4.5 inches. 



T24 



Found upon oak trees and also upon the limbs and 
twigs of youn^ deciduous growth. 

Not unlike the Chickadees in general form, or 
unlike the Kinglets in habits, are the little Bush- 
Tits which may be seen in small flocks in win- 
ter time, hanging from the twigs of young 
growth, and searching, like their relatives, for 
w^hat are to them dainty bits of insect life. Their 
''cute" ways and gentle, though lively demeanor, 
attract attention and invite study. 

This is one of the three varieties of birds that 
build a pouch-like nest. That of the Bush-Tits 
is much larger than would seem needful for these 
little mites, or possible for tnem to construct. 
The nest is usually only five or six feet from 
the ground, in low growth, but has been seen 
much higher in evergreens. 

Particular Description — Head, rather sooty; back, 
deep brownish-gray; lower parts, as above, but deep 
smoky along the sides. 

Permanent resident. 



WINTER BIRDS. 



There are few varieties of birds that are win- 
ter residents, and these are amongst the most 

125 



beautiful, familiar and entertaining of any of the 
feathered creatures that come to us. Four of 
these winter birds are the Junco (''Snow Bird"), 
the Varied Thrush, the Western Evening Gros- 
beak and the Titlark. There are others, like the 
Kinglets and the Chickadees, described in other 
places, which are more in evidence in winter 
time. 



THE OREGON JUNCO. 

General Description — 

Male — Upper parts: black head and 

neck; back and tail, dark gray. 
Under parts: light gray and white. 
Length, 5.75 to 6.75 inches. 

Found everywhere in western part of these States. 

This is the most famihar and entertaining of 
the winter birds. Nearly every child knows the 
"Snow Bird,'' who comes about our suburban, 
and sometimes our city, homes to catch the scat- 
tered crumbs and the bird-seed which thought- 
ful human friends have provided. How neat and 
admirable their dress! The male with his black, 
cowl-like head, and the female in her mode?\ 
Quaker-like garb, and both with an exquisite 
flesh-colored bill — the daintiest. bill of any bird 
w^e see in these parts. 

136 



The little creature is often rendered quite tame 
hy attention and careful feeding. He may be- 
come very much at home with us by the right 
treatment, by letting him associate his crumbs 
or bird-seed with our bestowal, and with some 
soft and oft-repeated whistle. He will soon feed 
at your feet, and even from your hand. His 
song is a sweet trill. 

Particular Description — Male — Head and the whole 
neck, black; back and upper tail-feathers, dark gray; 
hreast, grayish-white; underneath and outer tail- 
feathers, white. 

Female — With head, back, etc., dull slate-gray; 
otherAvise like the male, but colors duller. 

A permanent resident, but very retired during 
nesting and summer time. 



THE VARIED THRUSH. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: slaty (like the Robin), with 

yellowish stripes upon the wings. 
Under parts: orange-yellow breast. 
Length, 9.5 inches. 

Found all over the western valleys of the two 
States. 

This bird — which comies to us in tlie auttmm 
from Alaska, where it nests — is sometimes called 



127 



the x\laskan Robin. Its general appearance is 
Robin-like, and therefore it is also called the 
''Varied Robin." It differs mainly in having" 
yellow markings. It is a beautiful bird in its 
variegated coloring. The orange shade upon 
the breast is much brighter in some ot the birds 
than in others, and gives a momentary effect of 
the gorgeous coloring of the Oriole's breast. 

These birds are wild and retiring upon their 
arrival in this section, but before the winter is 
over they are seen not far from, and sometimes 
very near, houses. The writer saw one on 
March 19, 1901, picking around the back-door 
step of a house in suburban Portland, 

Some of these Thrushes linger into April, but 
then they are off to their secluded nesting-hom.e 
twelve hundred miles north. John Burroughs, 
in his report of his visit to Alaska with the ^'Har~ 
riman Expedition," speaks of their nests and of 
their sweet song, with which they never favor 
this locality. 

Particular Description — Head and tail blackish- 
brown; back and wings, slaty; orange-rufous stripe, 
back of eyes; three of the same color upon each wing; 
throat, breast and sides, orange-rufous; black cres- 
cent on the breast. 

Winter resident. 

128 




Varied Thrush, 



THE WESTERN EVENING GROSBEAK. 

General Description — 

Old gold, nearly all over; large white 
patches on wings; very large bill. 
Length, 8 inches. 

Found about towns and country places some win- 
ters. 

This is the most beautiful winter bird in our 
section, and one of the most beautiful birds that 
we have at any time of the year. The Grosbeak 
comes from unknown homes in the northern 
British forests, or perhaps far up in the unex- 
plored regions of the Sierras, or from the Coast 
Range. No one has ever found their nesting- 
place, and only one nest, and that apparently 
accidental, has ever been seen so far as reported. 
They leave their summer feeding-ground, when 
severe winters drive them to the open country of 
western Oregon and Washington, here to thrive 
upon abundant food w^hich they find in maple 
tree seeds, etc. The huge size of the bill indi- 
cates the use which these birds make of them in 
cracking pine cones. 

Though nesting so far from the habitation of 
man, they are wondrously tame, as they appear 
in flocks in our City Parks, and upon our lawns. 
So friendly already, it is easy to win further their 
confidence, and induce them to eat out of the 



129 



hand. A lady of Oregon City in the winter of 
1898-99 succeeded in bringing numbers of these 
beautiful birds to sit upon her arms, hands and 
lap. The writer has two pictures of this win- 
some woman with the Grosbeaks thus confiding- 
ly resting upon her person. And in this winter 
of 1900-01 some of the same birds have re- 
turned after the two years' absence, — the identi- 
fication being established by certain unmistak- 
able marks, like the l3lindness of one in one eye^ 
and the misshapen leg of another. 

The explanation of the fearlessness of these 
birds is found in the fact that they are not fa- 
miliar enough with the bird-stoning and killing 
propensities of human beings to keep at a safe 
distance. Every wild and fearful bird is a sad 
comment upon the savage treatment bird-life 
has received at the hands of man. And every 
such familiar intercourse as that between t^^'''> 
bird-lover in Oregon City and the birds indi- 
cates what, if we will, may be the future relation 
between us and these angels of song and beauty. 

The Evening Grosbeak has no song proper 
while with us, but has such a musical conver- 
sational note that we long some dav to come 
upon the quiet family in their summer homes; 
where, if their love-song is one half as sweet 



130 



as the songs of other Grosbeaks, we know it 
must be sw^eet indeed. 

These birds must be ver}^ numerous, as re- 
ports from different parts of these States show 
that, in large flocks, they cover a wide terri- 
tory. 

Particular Description — Male — Crown, black; neck, 
sides of head, throat, breast and underneath, rich olive- 
yellow or old gold; color darker on back, shading 
lighter yellow to tail-coverts; white patch on wings; 
yellow line on forehead, extending over each eye; 
black upper tail-coverts and tail, and outer wing-parts; 
light yellow under tail-coverts. 

Female — Prevailing color, buffy or yellowish-brown 
instead of old-gold, with small white spots on wings. 

Winter resident. 



THE AMERICAN PIPIT OR TITLARK. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: grayish-brown. . 

Under parts: buffy, streaked on the 

breast; outer tail-feathers, white. 
Length, 6 to 7 inches. 
Found in flocks in winter upon bottom lands and 
fields that have been overflowed. 

When one is passing some low lands in win- 
ter, and sees a large flock of sparrow-like birds 
rise with irregular flight, calling ''dee-dee, dee- 

131 



dee," and sometimes returning to the spot from 
which they were flushed, he may be sure he 
has found the American Pipit or Titlark, — also 
called the Brown or Red Lark. It is with us in 
abundance in winter time, but goes in summer 
(like the Evening Grosbeak) to northern parts 
or to the mountains, above the timber line, to 
nest upon the ground. The bird is called a 
Lark because it lives upon the open ground, 
where it prefers to run rather than to rise and 
fly; and when flushed it is only for a moment on 
the wing, and then not far from its beloved 
earth. It is so named, also, because when it 
does take a spontaneous flight higher than the 
enforced one, it sings on the wing. It is said to 
be ''expert in catching a small variety of insect 
or fly which frequents the lowlands." 

But the Titlark belongs to the Wagtail fam- 
ily because while on the ground he teeters and 
twitches and wags his tail in a comical fashion 
characteristic of the family. 

Particular Description — Head, back, wings and tail, 
grayish-brown; tail and wings, more dusky; a pale 
buffy line above the eye; throat, breast and under- 
neath, huffy, with breast and sides streaked with dusky. 

A winter resident. Perhaps some nest in these 
parts, as they have been seen here in July. 



132 



THE AMERICAN CROSSBILL AND THE 
REDPOLL. 

There are two Winter birds, not in the pre- 
vious list, which are not common but which may 
be discovered by some one who would like to 
identify them. They are the American Crossbill 
and the Redpoll. 

The first-named, with his crossed bill, when 
once seen, will scarcely need further description. 
It is enough to add that his color is generally 
reddish, and his size about six inches. His 
crossed bill is exactly fitted to cut open pine 
cones, the contents of which constitute his chief 
food. 

The Redpoll is smaller, its general color 
streaked and dusky, with white and brownish 
ground; the rump and breast are rose-red in the 
male, and, as the name indicates, he has a 
crimson crown. 

These birds both nest in the north, or in un- 
known places in the mountains, and are seen 
only in winter. 

THE BELTED KINGFISHER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: bluish-gray. 

Under parts: white, with a bluish-gray 

breast-band. 
Length, 13 inches. 



T33 



Found along rivers and creeks, and upon the shores 
of lakes and ponds. 

No more beautiful bird in color lives by our 
streams and shores than the Kingfisher. His 
form seems a little dwarfish, with his big head 
and short legs, but he has a noble, fine flight, 
and great swiftness and skill in his fishing, which 
saves him from the charge of being awkward. 
His running, rattling, and somewhat hard cry, 
as he takes his flight, all must know, who know 
the bird at all. 

We need to admire liim more on account of 
his splendid color, and to know him better on 
account of his habits. We should v/atch him 
as he catches, and see with what great difficulty 
he sometimes swallows, his fish. We must 
swear, too, that we will protect him against the 
monopoly assumed by man of the fishes in our 
streams. The Kingfisher was by these rivers be- 
fore man arrived. And he has his inalienable 
and divine rights, even if he makes serious havoc 
with the fish in the rivers. But the Kingfishers 
are not numerous enough or voracious enough 
to rob man of his privilege, even if they do 
maintain their right to eat their only natural 
food. These birds make their nests in river- 
banks, as does the Bank Swallow. 



134 



Particular Description — Male — Head, large and 
crested; bill, long and strong; white spot in front of 
eye; chin, throat and band around neck, white; back, 
wings and tail, gray-blue; a bluish band across the 
chest. 

Female — Rufous on breast and on sides. 

Permanent resident. 



AMERICAN DIPPER OR **WATER OUZEL." 

Description — Bill, long and slender; tail, very short; 
head and neck, brownish-gray; back, wings and tail, 
slaty; lower parts, whitish. In winter the plumage is 
mottled, the feathers edged with white. Length, 8 
inches. Found by mountain streams and waterfalls. 

Bird-lovers, in coming to the Western side of 
the Continent, count as one of their privileges 
the seeing of the "Water Ouzel." It is truly a 
''queer" bird, and if one did not know its habits 
and should some day see him plunge into a swift 
mountain-stream and disappear, he might sup- 
pose he had witnessed a case of desperate bird- 
suicide. But did he know this odd creature's 
w^ays, he would look for it to come up and land 
upon a rock at some point quite well below its 
place of plunge. The fact is, our ''Water 
Ouzel" does this sometimes for mere sport, and 
sometimes to gather food upon the bottom. It 
would not be so queer — indeed it would be quite 



135 



natural — if he were a species of duck with web- 
feet, but he more resembles the Snipe. He is 
a bird of the rushing current and the dashing 
cascade. Behind the latter in a large oven- 
shaped nest, the eggs are laid and the young 
reared in the sound of their home element and 
while breathing the spray. 

We all ought to know the thrice fascinating 
ways of this bird, which belongs exclusively to 
our side of the Continent. 

Permanent resident. 



THE WOODPECKERS. 



The Woodpeckers are, perhaps, without ex- 
ception, beautiful birds, and fit perfectly their 
environment in the woods. They often save 
great forests, which song-birds do-rjot live in. 
from oppressive loneliness by their tapping up- 
on some tree or by their cheerful call. The 
Flicker lives near human habitations, and, as 
we have seen, seeks human fellowship. Some 
other Woodpeckers visit the more open country 
and occasionally excite our curiosity by their 
less familiar presence. 

136 



Of this family in these States, there are five, 
besides the FHcker, which are suificiently com- 
mon for us to learn to recognize them, when 
we come upon them in the woods or when they 
visit us. They are the Harris's, the Gairdner's, 
the Lewis's, the Pileated and the California. 

One wishing to know^ all about this family of 
birds should read the recent book by Fanny 
Hardy Eckstorm, "The Woodpeckers." No 
other book upon the subject is at the same 
time so thorough and so entertaining. 



HARRIS'S WOODPECKER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: black,, with long white stripe 
down the back. 

Under parts: smoky-gray or light smoky- 
brown. 

Length, g to lo inches. 

Found in edges of clearings, burned timber patches, 
oak trees and orchards. 

This Woodpecker, with the Gairdner's, which 
is described below, may often be seen in autumn 
in the dogAvood trees, eating the berries. He 
is learning to visit the orchards and fruit trees 
around our suburban homes. And no better 
friend to the fruit-growler can be imagined. 



137 



Every borer, and all eggs and larvae which are 
harmful to the tree, are cleared up by this dili- 
gent and systematic bird, as he moves around 
the trunk, searching every crevice. 

Particular Description — Head, black, with scarlet 
patch on the head of the male; white line down back 
and rump; sides of back, black; few white wing-spots; 
tail, black in center; outer tail-feathers, white; all 
lower parts, brownish-gray. 

Permanent resident. 



GAIRDNER'S WOODPECKER. 

General Description — 

Almost the same as the Harris's, only 
much smaller; black above and 
smoky-gray below. 
Length, 6 to 7 inches. 
Found in burned timber patches, edges of woods 
and orchards. 

Habits almost identical with the Harris's 
Woodpecker. He is of the same service in 
orchards. 

Particular Description — Head, with red markings for 
male, black; back and tail, black; wide white line 
down the back and rump; lower parts, more smoky 
than the Harris's, and more white spots on the wings. 

Permanent resident. 

138 



LEWIS'S WOODPECKER. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: lustrous greenish-black, ex- 
cept fore-part of head. 

Under parts: below upper breast, crim- 
son. 

Length, ii inches. 

Found in heavy timber, also in oak trees. An oc- 
casional visitor in the neighborhood of towns. 

This is the famous Woodpecker of the West- 
ern part of our Continent, bearing as it does 
the name of the distinguished explorer, Lewis, 
of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. It is also 
greatly distinguished for its altogether unique 
color. i\o other Woodpecker is both greenish- 
black and crimson. Dr. Elliott Coues says: 
"No other species of our country shows such a 
metallic iridescence, or such intense crimson, 
and in none is the plumage so curiously modi- 
fied into a bristly character." 

The bird 'ooks as dark as a Blackbird on the 
wing. Its flight is more like that of birds be- 
longing to other than the Woodpecker family, 
being direct and even, not undulating. It also, 
like ordinary birds, alights upon boughs. It 
taps on tree trunks infrequently. In the forest 
it lives, feeds and nests high up on the dead top 
of some tree, or in the more open oak wood. 



139 



In Oregon, it is more often found in de- 
ciduous trees. One of its peculiarities is that 
is iias the habit of the Flycatcher family, in of- 
ten flying from the tree-top to catch, on the 
wing, some approaching insect. 

This bird, formerly altogether of the deep 
woods, is, like other birds, changing his habits 
with the advent of man, and is not infrequently 
seen now in the neighborhood of towns and 
country homes. 

Particular Description — Fore-part of head, including 
cheek, crimson; collar, back of neck, gray; back, 
wings, tail and thighs, metallic greenish-black; upper 
breast, like collar, gray; lower breast and underneath, 
crimson. 

Summer resident. 

THE NORTHERN PILEATED WOODPECKER. 

General Description — 

Body, blackish or dusky slate; crest (and 

head in male), bright red; white 

patches on the wings. 
Length, i8 inches. 

Found in evergreen forests and occasionally in oth- 
er heavy timber. 

]\Irs. Eckstorm assumes that our bird is a 
subspecies, and calls it the Northern Pileated 
Woodpecker. All over North America, to a 



140 



greater or less extent, is found this splendid 
member of the Woodpecker family. In some 
parts of our section, especially around Puget 
Sound, perhaps, he is more common than one 
or two of the varieties already described. 

The bird is of immense size, with a red crest 
which adds to his striking appearance. His 
size and crest will immediately distinguish him 
from all the other members of his family. 

Particular Description — Body, in general, dusky slate; 
crest and head in male, bright red; throat, white; two 
stripes on side of head, and one on side of neck, white; 
malar (jaw) stripe, red; wing-patches, white — show 
most white when flying. 

Female — Malar stripe and head, brownish-gray. 

Permanent resident. 

THE CALIFORNIA WOODPECKER. 

In southern Oregon, this member of the 
large Woodpecker family is not uncommon, 
though it is not found elsewhere in our section 
except, here and there, one or two that may be 
out of the ordinary limits. 

Description — Forehead, white; top of head, a crim- 
son patch, smaller on female; back, generally black 
with bluish luster; rump, white; upper breast, mostly 
glossy black; lower breast, streaked with white; 
sides, streaked with black; underneath, white. Length, 
9 inches. 



141 



This Woodpecker is related to the Red-head- 
ed Woodpecker of the Eastern States. 
Partly a permanent resident. 

RED=BREASTED SAPSUCKER. 

General Description — 

Head, neck and chest,, uniform red, or 

with white markings and black 

chest - patch showing indistinctly 

through the plumage. (Ridgway.) 

Length, 8.5 inches. 

Found in maple, dogwood and orchard trees. 

A pity it is that, after a thorough scientific 
investigation of its habits, this beautful 
bird must be condemned. For a long time, it 
was supposed that sap-sucking was injurious 
to trees and the bird was condemned on account 
of the habit his name indicates. Meanwhile, 
there were those who denied the fact and af- 
firmed that the bird was wrongly named. At 
the present time, however, there is little doubt 
that this species of Woodpecker is truly a sap- 
sucker, but perhaps not to any great extent. If 
he were, it would not now be on this account 
that he would be pronounced an enemy, because 
taking sap in large quantities, as is done in 
making maple sugar, does not injure the trees. 
But the harm which the bird does is twofold: 



142 



First, he cuts into and eats the inner bark of 
trees, and, secondly, in making holes for sap, he 
does it in regular order to-day and if later he 
drills new holes, he does it with reference to the 
last work done by his kind, and gradually de- 
stroys the channels through which the life sub- 
stance of tne tree flows. He may gradually 
girdle a tree, always making holes near together 
in a straight line, and then, perhaps, girdle it 
again. Each time that a hole is made, the 
healed wound marks an obstructed passage for 
the sap. 

If the fruit-grower must protect himself 
against the Sapsucker, it is of the greatest im- 
portance that he should be able to distinguish 
the only Sapsucker that we have in this section 
from those Woodpeckers which are, as has 
been pointed out, indispensable to the health of 
the orchards. The red head and breast with the 
yellow underneath, will give us the infallible 
marks of this enemy of orchards. All of the 
Sapsucker varieties have yellow underneath. 

Permanent resident. 



THE CROW. 

Length, i8 inches. 
Found everywhere. 

143 



Everybody knows the Crow, and he needs 
no description. 

No bird that flies is more sagacious, and on 
occasion ''witty" in the older sense of the term. 
He knows how to take advantage of every op- 
portunity for his own profit, without the risk 
of gun or trap. He can count at least three, so 
that the third gunner may not hope that this 
wary bird will approach his hiding-place be- 
cause two of the sporting party have gone 
away. An observing farmer's boy in Oregon 
relates how quickly the Crows discovered that 
a dog following the plow would kill and bury 
field-mice. The knowing birds would proceed 
at once to dig up these bits for their own hun- 
gry stomachs. 

It is hard to decide just what to do with the 
Crow. He is not only extremely interesting 
on account of his sagacity, but he is also a beau- 
tiful bird, with his black iridescent plumage and 
clean, strong body and bearing, and his ''Caw, 
caw," on a winter's day has a charm for the 
Nature or bird-lover. He is even more than 
this. He is one of the best friends of the far- 
mer in destroying mice, also beetles and other 
injurious insects. If it were only the tempo- 
rary harm that he does to crops and young chic- 
kens, he would have so large a balance to his 



144 



credit that no intelligent agriculturist could af- 
ford to destroy him. But his great, and per- 
haps his unpardonable, sin is that he destroys 
so many eggs and young of the smaller song 
and insectivorous birds that, if his tribe is nu- 
merous in any locality, a considerable reduction 
of it is undoubtedly necessary. But in all of this 
family who live in spite of us, or by our consent, 
let us keep ever an intelligent interest, and min- 
gle our admiration with our reprobation. 

These States have two varieties of the Crow, 
the American, common to the East and the 
West; and the Northwest, peculiar to this terri- 
tory. The Northwest Crow is somewhat small- 
er than the American Crow, and more uniform in 
size — length, i6 to 17 inches — while its plum- 
age is less glossy. The American measures 
from 17 to 21 inches. The habits of the two 
species are quite alike. 

The Crow nests high, in a rude nest made of 
sticks, with little of comfort for her young. 

Permanent resident. 

STELLER'S JAY. 

General Description — 

' A crested bird. Fore-part of body, dark, 
black, or brownish-black, the rear 
part bluish. 
Length, 12.5 inches. 



145 



Found in evergreen timber and in all sorts of trees 
and bushes about the timber. 

Almost every one knows this noisy and, in 
the western section of our States, this everv- 
where-present Jay. He is fine looking and also 
interesting in spite of his meddlesome, maraud- 
ing, and, we must own, cowardly habits. We 
could not afford to exterminate him. He woula 
be a distinct loss to our bird-family, but, like 
the crow, although with less courage, he w^ill 
steal birds' eggs and will take the young when- 
ever he can do it without bringing upon himself 
an attack from the outraged bird community, 
upon which he is preying. 

While not blaming him for acting out his na- 
ture, for which he is not responsible, we must 
regretfully, and, as painlessly as possible, pre- 
vent his becoming too abundant. His crest 
and color will make a particular description of 
him unnecessary. 

Permanent resident. 

THE CALIFORNIA JAY. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: head, wings and tail. blue. 
Middle of back, grayish-,brown. 

Under parts: whitish, bordered with blu- 
ish. 

Ivength, 12 inches. 

146 



Found in deciduous trees. 

The California Jay is very common in the 
State whose name at bears, and is also more 
or less common here. The bird is found in com- 
panies, as is the Steller's jay, also here and 
there singly or in pairs. 

Particular Description — As in general description, 
with this added — a white line over the eye. 

Permanent resident. 



THE OREGON JAY, ** TALLOW BIRD/' OR 
*' WHISKY JACK." 

General Description — 

Upper parts: grayish-brown. 

Under parts: white or grayish-white, with 

a whitish collar. 
Length, ii inches. 

Found generally around mountains, but sometimes 
in the timber on lowxr ground. 

Every one who has camped in the timber 
about the mountains of Oregon or Washington 
knows the ''Tallow Bird" or "Whisky Jack." 
He takes at once to human society; from the 
first will share man's table with him, and unless 
shut out will make havoc of the larder. These 
birds are sociable among themselves, as well 
as with human being's. 



147 



The Oregon Jay is the Western representa- 
tive of the Canada Jay of the East. 

Particular Description — Forehead and nasal tufts, 
white, sometimes brownish; sooty-black hood, bor- 
dered on the back with a whitish collar; back, wings 
and tail, bluish-gray with white streak in back; below, 
white, turning to dusky underneath. 

Permanent resident. 



CLARK'S NUTCRACKER, OR ** CLARK'S CROW.': 

General Description — 

Upper parts: gray; wings broken by a 

large white patch. 
Under parts: gray. 
Length, 13 inches. 

Found in and about mountains, mostly in the east- 
ern part of this section. 

"Clark's Crow," sometimes called the ''Ore- 
gon Crow," is one of the striking and famous 
birds of the Northwest. He is called a Crow, 
and yet in his noisy habit he seems more like 
a Jay. 

Any one who visits the mountains will make 
the acquaintance of this interesting bird, always 
to be found in large flocks. Mr. Anthony re- 
lates that about the Sierras in California, 
Clark's Nutcracker and the Pinon Jay are to 
be found in flocks of thousands each. Both of 



148 



these are not only social among themselves, but 
they are easily induced to familiar intercourse 
with men who camp in the woods where they 
dwell. 

Particular Description — Bill, long and slender; head, 
white on fore-part, gray on the rest, and on the back, 
breast, sides and underneath; wings, glossy black, 
with large white patch; tail, white except two middle 
feathers, which are black. 

Permanent resident. 



THE PINON JAY. 

This bird is also a resident of the mountain- 
ous parts of our States and has the general hab- 
its of the Nutcracker. Length, ii inches. 

Particular Description — Bill, long and sharp; body, 
grayish-blue, becoming blue on head and wings; tail 
and sides, more blue than black; throat, bright blue 
streaked with whitish. 



THE AMERICAN MAGPIE. 

This singular bird is not, like the English 
bird of the same name, to be seen ordinarily 
near human dwellings. When found in small 
flocks in the western part of these States, he 
is more shy, but in the eastern part, w^here he 
is abundant in places, he is not afraid of man. 

149 



Description — Head, back and breast, smoky black; 
shoulders and underneath, white; wings and tail, iri- 
descent purple; tail, long and tapering; bill, black. 
Length, i8 inches. 

In California, in the interior valleys of the 
State, a Yellow-billed Magpie is found. It is 
very nearly the same in appearance as the one 
above described, with the exception of its bill. 
It is possible that a few of these may be seen 
in southern Oregon. 

Permanent resident. 



THE GREAT BLUE HERON. 

Description — Bill, long and sharp; very short tail; 
forehead and crown, white; black streaks on either" 
side of crown, running back they join down the neck; 
back and wings, blue-gray; throat, white; breast, black 
and somewhat mottled. 

Length, 45 inches. 
Found in marshes and along rivers and by lakes. 

I cannot do better than to transcribe what 
Mr. Frank M. Chapman has said about this 
splendid bird and the murderous assault upon 
him by himters: 

"The presence of a stately Great Blue Heron 
or 'Crane' adds' an element to the landscape 
which no work of man can equal. Its grace of 
form and motion, emphasized by its large size. 



150 



is a constant delight to the eye; it is a symbol 
of the wild in Nature; one never tires of watch- 
ing it. What punishment, then, is severe enough 
for the man who robs his fellows of so pure a 
source of enjoyment? A rifle ball turns this 
noble creature into a useless mass of flesh and 
feathers. The loss is irreparable. Still, we have 
no law to prevent it. Herons are said to devour 
large numbers of small fish. But is not the la- 
borer worthy of his hire? Are the fish more 
valuable than this, one of the grandest of 
birds?" 

The only excuse offered on this Coast, for 
this savage destruction of a noble bird is that 
he acts as a game sentinel. He gives the sig- 
nal to ducks, w^hen the hunter is approaching. 
Suppose he does sometimes do this, is his sa- 
gacity not a cause for the greater admiration of 
him? Let this magnificent creature adorn our 
waterways and add to the beauty of our evening 
sky by his splendid flight. 

A permanent resident. 



HAWKS AND OWLS. 



There are two species of birds that are vie 
tims of prejudice and indiscriminating ignor 



151 



ance. ' They have been treated Hke snakes, and 
have been killed at sight by nearly everybody 
who could use a gun. They are the Hawks and 
the Owls. 

In respect of these, as of some of the other 
birds described in this book, their enemy, man, 
has reaped the fruit of his own ignorance and 
folly m two important regards. He has done 
what he could to destroy objects of great beauty 
and interest, and, secondly, he has killed off 
some of the greatest benefactors to the agricul- 
tural interests of the country. The food supply 
of nearly all our Hawks and Owls consists of 
mice, insects and reptiles, and not of chickens, 
or even of birds. In the East, only two 
of the common varieties of Hawks live upon 
birds and poultry. Dr. Fisher of the Agricul- 
tural Department at Washington has examined 
hundreds of stomachs of Hawks and Owls, with 
results like the following: Of the 220 stomachs 
of the Red-shouldered Hawk of the East, 
which is usually called the ''Chicken" or "Hen- 
Hawk," only three contained the remains of 
poultry. Of the rest, twelve contained the re- 
mains of birds; 102, mice; 40, other mammals; 
20, reptiles; 39, frogs; 92, insects; 16, spiders, 
etc. 



152 



So, on this Northwestern Coast of the Conti- 
nent, of the very common Hawks only one — the 
Sharp-shinned — is always an enemy of birds 
and poultry. Cooper's Hawk, the other bird of 
the same habit, is not so common. The rest 
wlTich will be described are comparatively harm- 
less, and all are of great service. A good ruje 
for us to follow, if we cannot tell the kind of 
Hawk at sight, is not to kill a Hawk. till we see 
him attacking the poultry-yard. 

And as for the Owls, they also are compara- 
tively harmless. The farmers of Pennsylvania 
had, in the following way, a demonstration of 
their folly in the destruction of Hawks and 
Owls. Supposing that these birds fed princi- 
pally or altogether upon poultry, they secured 
from the Legislature a law setting a price upon 
every Hawk and Owl killed in the State. After 
a fev/ years the farms, at least in certain sec- 
tions of the State, became so infested with mice 
that the yearly loss in grain was sufficient to 
alarm the growers. It w^as then that a wise 
man, who knew the relations between mice and 
Hawks and Owls, gave the fact to the farmers. 
It resulted in the repeal of the law; and with 
the increase in these hitherto blindly feared 
birds, the mice scourge disappeared. 



153 



Dr. E. Hart Alerriam, Ornithologist and 
Mammalogist of the United States Department 
of Agricuhure, has estimated that Pennsylva- 
nia lost by this folly four and a half n^.illions of 
dollars in one year and a half. 

Oregon and Washington have quite a num- 
ber of the varieties of the Hawk. Only a few 
are common; some are very rare. The more 
common ones are the Desert Sparrow-Hawk, 
the Pigeon, the Red-tailed and the Swainson's 
Hawks. 

THE DESERT SPARROW=HAWK. 

Small size. 

Length, 9 to ii inches. 

The Sparrow-Hawk is scarcely a Sparrow- 
Hawk or bird Hawk at all, so far as his habits 
are concerned, and Dr. Fisher reports that, af« 
ter examining 320 stomachs of this bird, he 
found no poultry. ^lice and grasshoppers 
w^ere found to be the principal food. 

Particular Description — Top of head, bluish; crown, 
with or without rufous patch; black "mustaches" on 
sides of cheek, always conspicuous; back, brown 
(reddish-brown in female), barred with black; tail, 
reddish-brown, white tip; wings, bluish-gray, usually 
spotted with black; under parts, w^hite. to varying 
shades of buff and rufous with black spots. 
More or less migratory in winter. 

154 



THE PIQEON=HAWK. 

Another small Hawk. 
Length, lo to ii inches. 

It can be easily distinguished from the Des- 
ert Sparrow-Hawk by noticing that the prevail- 
ing color in the upper parts is bluish-gray and 
not brown or reddish-brown. 

Particular Description — Male — Head and back, bluish- 
gray, marked with fine black lines; tail, . slaty, with 
three broad bands of black, and white tip; under parts, 
white, somewhat bufry on breast and streaked with 
dark brown lines. 

THE WESTERN RED=TA1LED HAWK. 

A large Hawk; length, 21 to 24 inches. 
This bird is one of the most valuable allies 
of the farmer. In some places he may occasion- 
ally get a taste of poultry; but do not kill him 
till he ventures into the poultry-yard. He will 
probably not trouble you. 

Particular Description — Varying from ''uniform dark, 
sooty-brown, through every conceivable intermediate 
plumage." (Ridgway). Above, grayish-brown or black- 
ish-brown mottled with rusty; below, varying from 
white or buff, more or less streaked with brown dusky 
markings, to dark blackish-brown. The distinctive 
mark is the bright reddish-brown tail, edged with buff 
or whitish, and with one or more blackish bars. ' 
(Keeler). 

Permanent resident. 



155 



SWAINSON'S HAWK. 

Rather large Hawk; length, 20 to 22 inches. 

Probably altogether harmless in respect to 
poultry. Its principal food in the proper season 
is grasshoppers. Uniform grayish-brown above; 
forehead and throat, white; patch of rufous on 
the breast of the male, and of grayish-brown 
upon the breast of the female. 

But this Hawk inclines to melanism, as it 
is called in ornithology — that is, to a decidedly 
dark coloring. Specimens of both sexes are 
found of a uniform sooty brown. The upper 
tail-coverts are barred with white. This Hawk 
must not be confused with the Marsh-Hawk, 
which can be recognized even at a great dis- 
tance by a^ conspicuous white rump. The white 
forehead marks the Swainson's Hawk. 

THE SHARP=SHINNED HAWK. 

Rather small; length, 11 to 14 inches. 

This is the hawk that prefers birds and broil- 
ers to mice, grasshoppers or snakes. He is too 
small ever to touch hens. It is difificult for 
one who has not observed birds to distinguish 
the Sharp-shinned from the Pigeon-Hawk, or 
even from the Sparrow-Haw^k. There is, how- 
ever, a characteristic common to both this 

156 



Hawk and Cooper's Hawk, by whicli one may 
become at first suspicious and watchful — each 
has a slender form, being long in proportion to 
size of body. 

Particular Description — Male — Upper parts, bluish- 
gray; top of head, darker; tail, crossed by several 
blackish bands, narrowly tipped with white. Lower 
parts, pure white, crossed with light rufous bars and 
spots. 

Female — Colors duller. Lower parts, not pure 
white. 

Permanent resident. 



COOPER'S HAWK. 

Larger bird than Sharp-shinned; length, 14 to 17 
inches. Distinguished in color by having top of head 
black, sides of head more or less washed with bluish- 
gray, sides of breast, bluish-gray also. The tail of this 
bird is very rounded, — a clear distinguishing mark. 

Permanent resident. 



THE OWLS. 



There are four varieties of Owls more or less 
common in Oregon and Washington. The 
Screech Owl (Puget Sound), the Short-eared 



157 



Owl, the Pygmy Owl and the Dusky Horned 
Owl. 

THE SCREECH=OWL. 

The name hardly indicates the character of 
the vocal expression of this bird, which, in 
slightly modified form, covers nearly all of North 
America. His voice is more like a "tremulous 
wail" and has been the terror of the superstitious 
for generations, while it is not seldom mistaken 
for a human cry of despair by those who do not 
know its source. It is not always a welcome 
sound, even when the source is known and 
there is no superstitious awe in the heart of the 
listener. But to the Nature-lover the weird call 
of the Screech-Owd is a part of Nature's music, 
kindles his imagination and touches his heart 
with satisfaction. 

Mr. Chapman reports that Dr. A. K. Fisher, 
after examining the stomachs of 225 of the 
Screech-Owl proper, found that ten contained 
insects, 91 of the remaining 125 contained mice, 
and poultry was found in only one stomach. 

There are, perhaps, two varieties of this Owl 
in this section, the Puget Sound and the Kenni- 
cott's, — the former, however is the common one. 
And if the latter, which is a species characteris- 
tic of Alaska, is found within these borders, it 

158 



Avould be in northwestern Washington and pre- 
sumably rare. 

The Screech-Owl may be recognized by the 
"tremulous wail" referred to, and by its appear- 
ance, — partly from its long ear-tufts and partly 
from its moderate size. 

The description given here is of the Puget 
Sound Owl. 

Particular Description — Mottled and streaked; head 
and back, brown and tawny, streaked with black; two 
lines on edges of back, creamy white; whitish all around 
the bill; lower breast, mottled, ground mostly white, 
some tawny and all streaked with black. 

Nocturnal habits. 
Length, g inches. 

Permanent resident. 

THE SHORT=EARED, OR MARSH OWL. 

■General Desciription — 

Upper parts; black, buff and reddish. 
Under parts; white and brownish-black. 
Length, 15.51 inches. 
Found in and about marshy places. 
This is one bird, at least, of the Owl family 
that does not prefer the w^oods to the open coun- 
try, though he is sometimes found in the trees. 
He lives and nests in the marshes, and can be 
seen at nightfall, flying over the marsh, looking 
for meadow mice, which are shown from scien- 



159 



tific investigation to make up the bulk of its 
food. 

There are reports of this bird's habits while 
rearing its young, that indicate a diet of small 
birds. It would be well to thoroughly test the 
matter on this Coast before accepting this state- 
ment as a general fact. Dr. Fisher found, on 
examination of loi stomachs of this species of 
owl, that no less than yy contained the remains 
of mice. 

The bird nests upon the ground. 

Particular Description — As in General Description. 
Ear tufts, hardly seen; throat, white; breast immedi- 
ately below chin, quite thickly streaked with dark 
brown, with streaks growing fewer and larger below, 
approaching the feet. Eyes, yellow. Nocturnal habits. 

Permanent resident. 

THE PYGMY OWL. 

General Description — 

Upper parts: dark brown, shading into 
reddish, marked with small white 
spots. 
Under parts: white, streaked with black. 
Length, 7 inches. 
Found in the woods. 

This little Owl is peculiar in other respects 
besides his size. He is a day and not a night 
bird, but, being very wary of men, keeps out 

160 




'Bullock's Oriole. 



of sight. On that account ne does not seem to 
be very abundant, while yet he may be so. That 
the Owl is numerous in some parts of this sec- 
tion is well known, for example in Lincoln 
County, Oregon. He is peculiar, also, in regard 
to his call. Dr. Cooper, one of the earliest au- 
thorities upon the birds of this Coast, declares 
that, ''His notes are subdued and clear like the 
sound of a flute." All the other owls have un- 
musical voices. 

The habits of this little bird are altogether 
harmless in respect of bird or poultry. Its prin- 
cipal 'food, so far as investigation has shown, 
consists of insects. He belongs to this side of 
the Continent, from Colorado to the Coast. 

Particular Description — As in general description, also 
''top of head dotted with whitish; sides of breast, 
brownish, more or less distinctly spotted with paler; 
tail-bands, always white." — Ridgway. 

Permanent resident. 

THE DUSKY HORNED OWL. 

Length, 24 inches. 

People who have been in the timber of Ore- 
gon and Washington will have seen a very large 
Owl, with high ear-tufts (which give him his 
name), a dark face and a white collar. '^ 

This Owl is quite common in the heavy tim- 

i6r 



ber, and is a splendid specimen of the family. 
His hoot is characteristic, and well suits the sun- 
less solitude of the forests. 

Description — All over, mottled and barred brown, usu- 
ally some tawny, black and white; but general effect 
dark; the face, usually sooty-brownish, slightly mixed 
w^ith grayish-white. 



THE EAGLES. 



These birds do not need a particular descrip- 
tion. They are well known, and reco^^nized 
wherever they are seen. 

The Golden Eagle is confined, perhaps, to 
the eastern parts of our section, while the Bald 
Eagle may be seen anywhere in the territory. 

People of these States should be warned, how- 
ever, not to kill at sight every Eagle that can 
be reached with a gun or rifle. Unless the birds 
are doing us positive damage, they should be 
preserved on account of the admiration which 
they theoretically command as the ''Bird of 
Freedom." In the East, the Eagles are pro- 
tected by stringent laws. 

The Bald Eagle has head, neck and tail white, and the 
rest of the body dark grayish, or dark brown. The 
general color of the Golden Eagle is brownish-black, 
and the bird is given the name ''Golden" from the 
ruddy-brown feathers on the back of its neck. Average 

162 



length of each, about three feet; the female being a 
little larger. 

Permanent resident. 

THE AMERICAN OSPREY, OR FISH=HAWK, 

The Osprey is seen on both sides of the Con- 
tinent. On tne Atlantic Coast, especially in New 
England and upon Long Island, it has been the 
one bird which the fishermen and farmers have 
singularly respected and guarded. In my own 
boyhood, a pair nested in a grove of large oaks 
back of my home on an island not far from New 
York City. It was believed that the same pair 
had been there for two generations or more. 
Whether an observation of scientific accuracy 
would verify the current story, I do not know, 
but these birds were said to arrive and depart 
on certain fixed calendar days each year. It 
was supposed that upon a certain day toward 
the end of March they came back, from what 
shores and seas I used to wonder and dream 
about, but never knew. Their nest xyas built 
in the top of an oak, and was made of sticks of 
dead wood and seaweed. Some of the sticks 
were of considerable size. Every year new ma- 
terial was added to the former site, till the nest 
became a huge mass against the sky. Mean- 
while, the tree-top was dyijig; and after a few 

163 



years the winter winds would throw it. with its 
enormous load, to the ground. A cart would 
hardly hold all the material of the several years' 
accumulation. 

The name Fish-Hawk indicates the habits of 
the bird. It flies over the water, and, seeing 
the fish near the surface, drops suddenly with 
great speed, and fastens its talons into its finny 
prey — which is devoured at leisure from some 
tree, or fed to offspring. The talons once 
fastened in the fish cannot always be withdrawn. 
It is reported that sometimes the bird misjudges 
the size of its quarry, and, not being able to re- 
lease itself, is drawn under the surface and is 
drowned. I have often seen the Hawk struggle 
for some time before rising from the water. 

The bird is a fine and noble creature in bear- 
ing, either at rest or on the wing. With its 
white head and neck it suggests the Bald 
Eagle, and is sometimes mistaken for it by the 
novice. The bird is harmless and adds beauty 
to our inlets, bays and lakes, and should be 
carefully guarded. 

Description — 

Head and neck, white; back, dark brown. 
Breast and underneath, white. Female has 

breast somewhat spotted with 

brown. 
Length, 22 inches. 

164 



Found on the coast, also on lakes and rivers. 
Summer resident. 



THE GULLS. 



This book would lack something if it did not 
at least name some of the most common of 
those sea-birds which are so much in evidence 
at certain times of the year upon the sea shore or 
on our rivers, inland lakes and even about the 
docks of our commercial cities. 

Five varieties of this family are to be seen 
regularly at certain seasons in these States. 
They are the Herring Gull, the Glaucus-winged, 
the Ring-billed, the California and the Western 
Slate-colored, or Summ.er Gull. 

The first four are winter birds and nest in the 
summer in the iVrctic or sub-Arctic regions. 
They may be found all together about our har- 
bors and upon our piers, and are so much alike 
that they cannot be easily distinguished. Two, 
however, are larger than the other two, namely, 
the Herring and the Glaucus-winged. But, on 
the other hand, one of the other two varieties, 
the Ring-billed, has the same ''mantle" as the 
Herring Gull. (The back and folded wings of a 

i6.s 



Gull, taken together, are call the ''mantle".) The 
two smaller ones, the Ring-billed and the Cali- 
fornia, are almost the same, the latter being a 
slight modification of the former. 

By studying through a glass the distinctions 
below, as given by Dr. Elliott Coues, we may 
learn to tell our friendly winter visitors apart 
and to get a more intimate knowledge of our 
Summer Gull. 

THE HERRING GULL. 

This bird is common to both the Pacific and 
Atlantic Coasts, in the winter season. 

Description — Mantle, pale dull blue; in winter, head 
and hind neck, streaked with dusky; primaries (outer 
wing-feathers), black; bill, yellow with red spot; feet, 
flesh color. Length, 22 to 2^ inches. 

Winter resident. 

THE GLAUCUS=WINGED GULL. 

This is probably the most common of all the 
Gulls in our harbors. 

Description — Exactly the same bill and feet as Her- 
ring Gull; mantle, average Gull blue; in winter, head 
and neck, clouded with dusky, not streaked as in the 
Herring Gull; primaries, color of mantles to very tips, 
marked with definite small white spots; first primary, 



with a large white sub-apical spot. Same size and 
shape as the Herring Gull. Length, 22 to 17 inches. 

Winter resident. 

THE RING=BILLED GULL. 

The name indicates a distinction in this bird 
which, however, it shares to some extent with 
the CaHfornia Gull. The ring on the bill will 
enable us to distinguish it from the Herring and 
the Glaucus-w^nged. 

Description — Mantle, pale dull blue; bill, greenish-yel- 
low, enriched with a black band near the end; the band 
usually complete but sometimes defective; the tip and 
most of the cutting edges of the bill, yellow; in high 
condition, the angle of the mouth and a small spot be- 
side the black, red; feet, oliveaceous, obscured with 
dusky or bluish and partly yellow; webs, bright 
chrome. Length, 18 to 20 inches. 

Winter resident. 

THE CALIFORNIA GULL. 

Description — Nearly the same as the Ring-billed; a lit- 
tle larger, 22 inches; black band on bill more perfect; 
the white spot on the first primar}^ enlarged to occupy 
the whole end of feather for more than two inches. 
Ihis is the distinguishing mark. 

THE WESTERN SLATE=COLORED, OR SUMMER, 
GULL. 

This is the only permanent resident among 
our Gulls, nesting in summer time on the islands 

167 



along the Pacific Coast. It is rather smaller than 
the Herring Gull and has the darkest mantle of 
any of the species named. It has been and still 
is, in some parts, tame and friendly, in spite of 
its abuse by boys. Sometimes it has been seen 
perching on houses with pigeons. Dr. Cooper 
says it is the most abundant and characteristic 
of the Pacific Coast Gulls. 

Description — Rather smaller than the Herring Gull; 
bill, larger in proportion; mantle, deep lead color; 
secondaries and tertiaries, very broadly — for one inch 
or more— tipped with white; four outer primaries, 
black; outer quill, with about two inches of its ter- 
minal oortion, white; remainder of the plumage, snow- 
white; bill, deep chrome or wax-yellow, the broad part 
of mandible marked by a bright spot of red; feet, yel- 
low. 

Permanent resident. 



CHAPTER VI. 



Upon Imported Song Birds. 



In 1889 and again in 1892, some of the Ger- 
man-American citizens of Portland, with char- 
acteristic poetic taste and love of Nature, and 
out of affectionate remembrance of associations 
in the Fatherland, secured the importation of 
several varieties of their native song-birds. 

168 



The Skylark, as we have seen, is one of these, 
and it alone has repaid and will increasingly, in 
all time to come, repay the cost and the trouble 
incurred in settling the stranger-songsters upon 
the Pacific Coast. 

The birds introduced and released in the vi- 
cinity of Portland included two varieties of 
Thrushes, one variety of Goldfinch, one of the 
Starling family, Nightingales, Crossbills, and 
others. 

Of these, only the Skylark and Starling are 
sufficiently in evidence to make it possible for 
me to bear personal witness to their presence. 
And I find that no one of the careful and con- 
stant observers in and about Portland, who are 
making ornithology a study, has seen any other 
than the above-mentioned birds. 

Our German friends, however, who are, of 
course, more interested, report the presence of 
the European Goldfinch in the groves and orch- 
ards about Portland; also of the Song Thrush 
in certain gulches and the Black Thrush in the 
neighborhood. 

The Skylark has been fully treated under its 
name in its proper place in this book. "The 
Starling," unlike any of the Starling family in 
this country, lives and nests in buildings and not 
in trees, — and in buildings in cities, moreover, 

369 



which seems quite strange to us. It is, how- 
ever, only a proof of what change in the habits 
of birds is wrought by civiHzation. It is difficult 
to say what our own birds may do in the future, 
when Americans have won back the confidence 
of our now truly "wild" birds. In this spring 
of 1901 the Starlings may be seen around the 
top of the tower on the Perkins Hotel in Port- 
land, nesting in the gilded ornaments on either 
end, and also about the Blagen Block, First and . 
Couch streets, nesting in perpendicular holes 
just over each of the two ornamental heads on 
the west face of the structure. 

The careless observer would take these Star- 
lings for "just Blackbirds" (as indeed they are, 
for all Blackbirds are of the Starling family). 
But they are a new Blackbird in our country, 
and must be recognized as such. Their song is 
finer than that of our own Starlings. The prin- 
cipal distinction in this European Starling in 
summer time is its yellow bill, which even the 
indifTerent will notice when once their attention 
is called to it. 

THE STARLING. 

The difference between the summer and the 
winter plumage in these European Blackbirds 
is very marked. In the spring it is quite black, 



170 



and in the winter decidedly mottled. The differ- 
ence is indicated in the following 

Description — Adult — Summer plumage, both sexes 
alike; head, neck, breast and underneath, iridescent 
black; wings and under tail-coverts, spotted buff and 
mottled; tail, rather short and brownish; bill, yellow. 
Winter plumage: Male — Black, spotted with white 
all over. Female — Dark brownish, spotted liberally 
with buffy; bill, black. 

If those who have this book should come 
across either of the Thrushes or the Goldfinch, 
the followdng descriptions will help them to 
identify the birds. It is not impossible that some 
of the foreign varieties released about Portland 
may be found far from that point. 



THE SONO THRUSH. 

Description — Head, back, wings and tail, darkish 
brown; throat, breast and sides, whitish, well spotted 
with brown. Female — Lighter in upper parts. Length, 
84 inches. This Thrush resembles the Wood Thrush of 
the Eastern States. 



THE BLACK THRUSH. 

Description — Male — Black all over, like Blackbird, but 
with whitish bill. Female — Sooty above; throat, mot- 
tled w^hite and brown; breast, light and dark brown. 
Length, II inches. 



171 



THE EUROPEAN GOLDFINCH. 

Description — A circle of red around bill, extending up 
to crown and under throat; lores, black, and black 
around eye, white collar around neck; back, brown; 
wings and tail, black; breast, buffy brown; underneath, 
whitish. Female — Lower breast, whitish. Length, 
about 5 inches. 



CHAPTER Vn. 



How TO Domesticate and Tame Birds. 



Everybody enjoys the familiar presence of 
''wild" birds. Even persons who have never 
thought much of these winged creatures are 
pleased when the Wrens or Bluebirds force 
themselves into notice by nesting in the letter- 
box at the gate, or pre-empting a cranny under 
the piazza roof. 

People do not realize that, with a very little 
trouble, they might have a hundred bird neigh- 
bors in simimer, where now there are none, or 
only a pair or two, who have come uninvited and 
unprovided for. Every home in the country or 
near our cities, and very many in the towns, and 
even in the cities themselves, might have, with 
each coming of spring, a score of feathered 



friends returning from a far-away southern 
wintering. 

Nothing so civilizes and humanizes children 
as this care and interest. In Worcester, Mass., 
in one district where the care and protection of 
birds have been taught to and inspired in the 
children of a public school, vandalism has ceased 
am.ong the boys. They are busy providing bird- 
boxes, watching for nests in the trees, guarding 
the fledglings against cats, etc., and their hearts 
have softened meanwhile. Were it only a meas- 
ure for taming and civilizing boys, the taming of 
birds would be worth while. 

But w^hat a ministry of delight do these angels 
of song and grace bring to old and young, when 
once w^e have taken them under our care! ''Let 
but a bird — that being so free and uncontrolled, 
which with one stroke of the wing puts space 
between you and himself — let him but be willing 
to draw near and conclude a friendship with you, 
and lo, how your heart is moved.'' — Mme. 
Michelet. 

As remarked in another place in this book, 
song-birds seek the company, the protection and 
the friendship of man. And when these are 
given, the birds sing and iiy with a freedom, 
confidence, and even afifection that are impossi- 
ble while they live near us in fear and suspicion. 



173 



John Burroughs says of the EngHsh birds which 
are thus loved and cared for, "They sing with 
more confidence and copiousness, and as if they, 
too, had been touched by civihzation." He also 
says, "Wood birds here (x\merica) are house 
and garden birds there'' (England). 

With reference to nest-building, there are two 
sorts of birds anxious to live with and near us. 
In the first place, those that want to share our 
home or our outbuildings, or who look for some 
box provided hard by our door. The other 
sort are the birds which, if encouraged and pro- 
tected, would seek our vines, shrubs and trees 
for their nesting. 

What can we do to bring these little creatures 
to our homes? 

There are seven varieties of birds that search 
out places for nesting under piazza roofs, in 
boxes, about the eaves and cornices of our 
houses, or in our barns: the Violet-Green Swal- 
low, the Eave-Swallow, the Barn Swallow, the 
Martin, the Bluebird, the Pcrkman's House 
Wren, and the Vigors's Wren. 

As stated elsewhere in this book, the Violet- 
g-reen Swallow is not to be confused with the 
Eave Swallow that seeks in companies to build 
mud nests against the house; the former asks for 
a box in which to rear its young. Even now, 



174 



as I am writing this chapter, a pair of these 
birds of exquisite color, perfect grace of move- 
ment, and even, I find, of sweet song, are flying 
in front of the second-story window where I sit, 
and, pausing on the wing in front of me, seem 
pathetically begging me to furnish them a home, 
promising me full measure of delight if I will 
but grant their evident prayer. 

Ornamental boxes for the Violet-green Swal- 
low may be made, painted the color of ttie house 
and put up under the eaves; or ruder boxes (all 
the better if the boards are weather-beaten) may 
be placed against the sides of out-buildings, 
under eaves, and beyond the reach of cats. Or 
again, these birds may come to a cluster of 
houses set upon a pole in the yard. It would 
be better, however, to reserve the nests upon the 
pole for the Bluebirds and the Martins. 

I have given a hint elsewhere about allowing 
the Eave Swallows to set their mud nests against 
our buildings. True bird-lovers will do all they 
can to invite such neighborliness; and the use of 
a little insect powder will not only make impos- 
sible all annoyance, but will also help to keep 
the little birds clean and happy. 

As to the Barn Swallow, if a hole is left in the 
gable of our barns, or a window is always left 
open, there is no reason why this beautiful bird 



175 



should not take up his residence in our barns to 
the same extent on the Pacific as on the Atlantic 
Coast. 

The Purple ^Martin and the Bluebird are both 
fond of a box on the gable end of a house or 
barn, and of the bird-house upon a pole already 
referred to. 

The Wrens can be given their opportunity 
in a corner under the roof of porch or piazza, 
and about our out-buildings. 

As to Bird Houses. — They should be about 
six inches square at the base, and eight inches 
high, with the hole within two inches of the top. 
Birds like the secrecy of the deep box. The 
Wren-boxes should be somewhat smaller, and 
the hole should not be larger than a quarter of 
a dollar, thus excluding other birds, particularly 
the English Sparrow. 

Several boxes may be placed upon one pole 
by means of arms. I have seen boxes roofed 
with fir-bark, — the rounding line of the bark 
sometimes leaving space enough between it and 
the box to allow the smaller birds to enter. 

In order to secure the boxes to the birds for 
which they are built, the English Sparrow should 
be disposed of as kindly as possible — but dis- 
posed of he must be. The father of the family 
may best undertake this serious business. 

176 



Some tin nailed around the pole which holds 
the bird-houses will prevent cats from climbing 
to the nests. 

As to inducing birds to nest in our, vines and 
trees, — the vines, shrubs and trees being given, 
— the main thing is protection from enemies and 
annoyance. Cats, jays and crows must be kept 
from trespassing. 

Few of us have any proper ideas of how to 
train and keep a pussy. Cats can be trained so 
as to be quite as respectful to birds as to young 
chickens, if the same, or a little greater, trouble 
is taken. Most cats grow up perfectly obedient 
to natural instincts, and with no sense of obe- 
dience to human beings. Few persons probably 
take the trouble to educate the family kitten. 
But all may, with a little effort, subject the cat 
to a course of discipline every year which will 
be wholesome for the cat, and will save the lives 
of scores of birds, old and young. 

An unrestrained cat is as senseless in bird- 
time as an unrestrained horse or cow would be 
amongst growing crops. In these days of cheap 
poultry wire, a commodious cage may easily be 
made, in which pussy should pass her nights, 
and such part of the days, during the nesting- 
season, as she cannot be watched. If well fed, 
the cat will not be unhappy,, and she will be a 

177 



more civilized member of the family for such 
temporary and kindly restraint. Wild, vaga- 
bond cats should be mercifully put out of life, 
and neighbors' cats must be made unwelcome. 

Birds soon learn that we are their friends. 
They have been often reported as coming tO' the 
windows of their human sympathizers for assist- 
ance in time of distress. 

A dish of water, two inches in depth, and 
often changed, is important* for their comfort, 
especially in dry weather. And in drought, dur- 
ing nesting-time, when insects and fruits are 
difficult to find, food may be provided, at least 
in part. In ordinary seasons, however, it is 
kinder to let the birds find their own provision 
for themselves and their young, lest they should 
lose their independence and sufifer when they are 
alone and we can no longer feed them. 

This rule, of course, is not to l)e observed in 
winter-time, as I have indicated in other places 
in this book, showing how, in that season, we 
may help and tame the Junco, the Chickadee, 
the Evening Grosbeak, and others. 

A word now about cultivating, with the birds, 
an intimacy that will bring them to our feet and 
possibly to our heads and hands. Celia Thaxter, 
in ''An Island Garden," tells us how the birds 
used to rest on her person. In the following 

178 



extract, she is writing especially of the Hum- 
mingbirds: 

''I shall never forget the surprise of joy that 
filled me when one for the first time alighted on 
my sleeve and rested, as much at home as if I 
were a stick or a harmless twig. Sparrows and 
Nuthatches had often alighted on my head as I 
stood musing over my flowers, perfectly still, 
but to have this tiny spark of brilliant life come 
to anchor, as it were, on anything so earthly as 
my arm was indeed a nine days' wonder. Now, 
it has grown to be an old story, but it is never 
any less delightful.'' 

This confidence was born of the experience of 
the birds with this gentle woman. Any one, 
by putting food down in a certain place, in small 
quantities at a time, accompanying the act with 
some soft and musical whistle, or low, soft, win- 
ning call, will soon be associated, in the mind of 
the bird, with the gift; and if he stands quietly 
and from time to time nearer to the birds, he 
will, ere long, have them at his feet and perhaps 
eating out of his hand. 

The story of a young Cedar Waxwing in 
Worcester, Mass., will give a hint as to what 
may be done in all our homes. Overloaded with 
cherries, he was taken into a bird-lover's home 
to be kept from the cats till he recovered from 



T79 



his cherry-spree. Gentle treatment made the 
bird a member of the family in a few hours, not 
in a cage, but free to go and come. In two 
pictures which I have of him, he is sitting upon 
a child's hand with as perfect confidence as that 
with which the child would sit upon its mother's 
lap. If the fledglings of all sorts, that drop to the 
ground around our homes, were taken in and 
treated considerately, they would come back in 
the next spring's migration, much more sus- 
ceptible to our winning arts, bringing with them 
familiar memories of our former kindness. 

Dr. Hodge, of Clark University, who chus 
tamed the Waxwing, gives us the suggestion of 
a way to save these young birds the agony of 
fear which they usually endure when, out of 
kindness, taken into temporary captivity. Put 
the birds in a suitable cage, provided with a 
little food and water, if they can feed them- 
selves. If they can feed themselves, wait until 
the food is gone, but if they cannot, begin at 
once, to feed them, using a stick which should 
be long enough not to frighten them by your 
too close presence at the cage. Upon the end 
of the stick, place the most tempting food and 
slowly put it before them; after even a time or 
two, you may hold the stick near the feeding- 
end and soon your hand may carry the food, and 

i8o 



before you are quite ready for it, the cage being 
opened, the bird will go to meet you. There is 
a charge that Dr. Hodge gives which must be 
strictly observed if we are to keep the confi- 
dence of the birds thus tamed. They must not 
be handled; neither at first, nor even after they 
sit upon our arms or rest upon our shoulders. 
Dr. Hodge relates that the Waxwing, even after 
a long period of familiarity, could not endure 
this demonstration, except once or twice, when 
very cold. Our human disposition to seize every 
moving and wild thing, not harmful, must be re- 
strained. The cage, of course, should be abol- 
ished as soon as the bird comes freely to us, 
that he may come and go, through open windows 
and doors, as he will. It will be interesting to 
those who read this chapter to know that the 
Waxwing became a bird-missionary in all of the 
public schools of Worcester, Mass., visiting each 
in turn, and, by his free presence, pleading that 
such treatment as he had received, might be 
given to all birds by all children. As a result, 
Worcester is perhaps the banner city in the 
United States in the protection and rearing of 
wild birds. 

One of the charming things in the rearing of 
wild birds about our homes is their looked-for 
return in the spring. The same birds will re- 

i8r 



turn to our bird-houses and trees, from year to 
year, unless something should befall them in 
their winter home or during migration. 

"No longer now the winged habitants, 
That in the woods their sweet lives sing away, 
Flee from the form of man ; but gather round, 
And preen their sunny feathers on the hands 
Which little children stretch in friendly sport 
Towards these dreadless partners of their play." 

— Shelley. 



SIZE KEY. 



Group 1 — Birds smaller than the English Sparrow (or 
apparently so). 



Western Chipping Spar- 
row. 
Parkman's House Wren. 
Western Winter Wren. 
Tule Wren. 

Western Yellow-throat. 
Pileolated Warbler. 
Rufous Hummingbird. 
Vigors's Wren. 
Audubon's Warbler. 
Lutescent Warbler. 
Pine Siskin. 
American Goldfinch. 
Myrtle Warbler. 
Yellow Warbler. 



Warbling Yireo. 

Cassin's Vireo. 

Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

Western Golden-crowned 
Kinglet. 

Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 

Black-throated Gray 
Warbler. 

Oregon Chickadee. 

Chestnut-backed Chick- 
adee. 

Slender-billed Nuthatch. 

Bush-Tit. 

European Goldfinch. 

Redpoll. 



Group 2 — Birds about the size of the English Sparrow 
(or apparently so). 



Gambel's White-crowned 
Sparrow. 

Intermediate White- 
crowned Sparrow. 

Oregon Vesper Sparrow. 

Western Savanna Spar- 
row. 

California Purple Finch. 

Western Wood Pewee. 



Oregon Junco. 
Rusty Song Sparrow. 
Traill's Flycatcher. 
Western Flycatcher. 
Lazuli Bunting. 
Macgillivray's Warbler. 
Titlark, or American 

Pipit. 
American Crossbill. 



183 



Group 3 — Birds larger than 
smaller than the Robi 

Western Bluebird. 

Western Purple Martin. 

Long-tailed Chat. 

Western Evening Gros- 
beak. 

"Violet-green Swallow, 
(apparently.) 

Oregon Towhee, or Che- 
wink. 

Skylark. 

Streaked Horned Lark. 

Louisiana Tanager. 

Bullock's Oriole. 

Russet-backed Thrush. 

Olive-sided flycatcher. 

Arkansas Kingbird. 

The Kingbird. 



the English Sparrow and 
n (or apparently so 

Blackheaded Grosbeak. 

All the Swallows, (ap- 
parently.) 

Red-winged Blackbird. 

Cedar Waxwing, or Ce- 
darbird. 

Pygmy Owl. 

Red-breasted Sapsucker. 

Vaux's Swift, (aoparent- 

ly.) 

Black Swift, (apparent- 

ly.) 

Water Ouzel, or x\meri- 

can Dipper. 
Gairdner's Woodpecker. 
Starling. (Imported.) 
Song Thrush. 



Group 4 — Birds about the size of the Robin (or appar- 
ently so). 



Meadowlark. 
California Woodpecker. 
Desert Sparrow-Hawk. 
Brewer's Blackbird. 
Mourning Dove. 



Pugct Sound Screech- 

Owl. 
Harris's Woodpecker. 
Black Thrush. 
Varied Thrush, or Varied 

Robin. 



Group 5 — Birds larger than the Robin. 



Western Nighthawk. 
Oregon Jay. 
Northwestern Flicker. 



Red-shafted Flicker. 
Belted Kingfisher. 
Pigeon-Hawk. 



184 



Sharp-shinned Hawk. 
Band-tailed Pigeon. 
Lewis's Woodpecker. 



California Jay. 
Pinon Jay. 



Group 6 — Birds much larger than the Robin. 



Pileated Woodpecker. 
Great Blue Heron. 
American Crow. 
Cooper's Hawk. 
Western Red-tailed 

Hawk. 
Northwest Crow. 
Clark's Nutcracker. 
American Magpie. 
Swainson's Hawk. • 
Dusky Horned Owl. 
Glaucus-winged Gull. 



Ring-billed Gull. 
California Gull. 
Western Slate-colored 

Gull. 
Short-eared, or Marsh 

Owl. 
Bali Eagle. 
Golden Eagle. 
American Osprey, or 

Fish-Hawk. 
Herring Gull. 
Steller's Jay. 



COLOR KEY.* 



Blue and Bluish. 



Lazuli Bunting. (2). 
Western Bluebird. (3). 
Belted Kingfisher. (5). 
Mourning Dove. (5). 
California Jay. (5). 
Oregon Jay. (5). 



Pinon Jay. (5). 
Great Blue Heron. (6). 
Band-tailed Pigeon. (6). 
Steller's Jay. (6). 
All of the Gulls. (6). 



* The birds in this f olor Key are arranged according to size, 
the numbers at the right showing to which group in the Size Key 
they belong. 



185 



Markedly Red of Any Shade. 

Rufous Hummingbird. Bullock's Oriole. (3). 

(i). Red-breasted Sapsucker. 
Goldfinch. (Imported). (3). 

(i). Western Robin. (4). 

Redpoll, (i). California Woodpecker. 
California Purple Finch. (4). 

(2). Red-shafted Flicker. (5). 

American Crossbill. (2). Northwestern Flicker. 
Louisiana Tanager. (3). (5). 



Markedly Yellow or Orange. 

Western Yellow-throat. Western Evening Gros- 

(i). beak. (3). 

Audubon's Warbler, (i). Long-tailed Chat. (3). 

Pileolated Warbler, (i). Western Meadowlark. 

Lutescent Warbler, (i). (4). 

Yellow, or Summer War- V'aried Thrush, or Varied 

bier. (i). Robin. (4). 
American Goldfinch, (i). 



Markedly Black. 

Black-throated Gray Black-headed Grosbeak. 

Warbler, fi). "^ (3). 

Western Purple Martin. Starling. (Imported.) (3). 

(3). Vaux's Swift. (3). 

Oregon Towhee, or Che- Black Swift. (3). 

wmk. (3). Black Thrush. (Import- 
Red-winged Blackbird. ed.) (4). 

(3). Brewer's Blackbird. (4). 

Northwest Crow. (6). American Crow. (6). 

186 



Black and White. 



Gairdner's Woodpecker. 

(3). 
California Woodpecker. 

(4). 



Harris's Woodpecker. (4). 
Clark's Nutcracker. (6). 
American Magpie. (6). 



Dusky, Gray, or Slaty 

Audubon's Warbler, (i). 
Myrtle Warbler, (i). 
Bush-Tit. (i). 
Red-breasted Nuthatch. 

(I). 
Slen-^er-billed Nuthatch. 

(I). 
Macgillivray's Warbler. 

(2). 



Oregon Junco. (2). 
Western Wood Pewee. 

(2). 
Traill's Flycatcher. (2). 
Western Flycatcher. (2). 
Arkansas Kingbird. (3). 
The Kingbird. (3). 
Water Ouzel. (3). 
Olive-sided Flycatcher. 

(3). 



Reddish-brown, Dark Brown, or Brownish- 
black. 



Chestnut-backed Chick- 
adee, (i). 
Rusty Song SDarrow.(2). 
Russet-backed Thrush. 

(3). 

Song Thrush. (Import- 

ed.) (3). 
Cedar Waxwing. (3). 
Pygmy Owl. (3). 



Almost all of the Hawks. 

(4, 5, or 6). 
Almost all of the Owls. 

(4, 5, or 6). 
Western Nighthawk. (5). 
American Osprey, or 

Fish-hawk. (6). 
Bald Eagle. (6). 
Golden Eagle. (6). 



Markedly Dark. 

Oregon Chickadee, (i). Cliff, or Eave Swallow. 



Barn Swallow. (3). 



(3). 



187 



Tree, or White-bellied 

Swallow. (3). 
Rough-winged Swallow. 

(3). 



Bank Swallow. (3). 
Lewis's Woodpecker. (5). 
Pileated Woodpecker. (6). 



Green, Olive or Olive-gray. 



All of the Vireos. (i). 
Western Golden-crowned 
Kinglet, (i). 



Ruby-crowned Kinglet. 

(I). 

Violet-green Swallow. (3). 



Brown, Brownish, or Sparrowlsh Gray. 



Pine Siskin, (i). 

Western Chipping Spar- 
row, (i). 

The Wrens, (i). 

Gambel's White-crowned 
Sparrow. (2). 

Intermediate White- 
crowned Sparrow. (2). 

Oregon Vesper Sparrow. 

(2). 



Western Savanna Spar- 
row. (2). 

English, or European 
House Sparrow. (2). 

Titlark, or American 
Pipit. (2). 

Streaked Horned Lark. 

(3y. 
Skylark. (Imported.) (3). 



FAMILIES. 



Birds Grouped According to P'amilies, with Sci- 
entific Names. 



BLACKBIRD, ORIOLE AND STARLING FAMILY. 
I. (Icteridae.) 
Brewer's Blackbird. (Scolecophagus cyanocephalus). 
Wagl. 



188 



Red-winged Blackbird. (Agelaius phoeniceus). Linn. 
Western Meadowlark. (Sturnella magna neglecta). 

Aud. 
Bullock's Oriole. (Icterus Bullocki). Swains. 

CROW, JAY AND MAGPIE FAMII^Y. 
(Corvidae.) 
American Crow. (Corvus Americanus). Aud. 
JNorthwest Crow. (Corvus caurinus). Baird. 
California Jay. (Aphelocoma calif ornica). Vig. 
Oregon Jay. (Perisoreus obscurus). Ridgw. 
Pinon Jay. (Cyanocephalus cyanocephalus). Wied. 
Steller's Jay. (Cyanocitta stelleri). Gmel. 
American Magpie. (Pica pica hudsonica). Sab. 
Clark's Nutcracker, or Clark's Crow. (Picicorvus 
columbianus). Wils. 

DIPPER FAMILY. 
(Cinclidae.) 
Water Ouzel^ or American Dipper. (Cinclus mexican- 
us). Sw^ains. 

DOVE AND PIGEON FAMILY. 

(Columbidae.) 

Mourning Dove, or Turtle Dove. (Zenaidura mac- 

roura). Linn. 
Band-tailed Pigeon. (Columbia fasciata). Say. 

FALCON FAMILY, INCLUDING HAWKS AND 
EAGLES. 
(Falconidae.) 
Bald Eagle. (Haliaeetus Cucocephalus). Linn. 
Golden Eagle. (Aquila chrysaetos). Linn. 
Cooper's Hawk. (Accipiter cooperii). Bonap. 

189 



Desert Sparrow-Hawk. (Falco sparverius deserticol- 

us). Mearns. 
Fish-Hawk, or American Osprey. (Pandion haliaetus 

carolinensis). Gmel. 
Marsh-Hawk. (Circus hudsonius). Linn. 
Pigeon-Hawk. (Falco cohimbarius). Linn. 
Sharp-shinned Hawk. (Accipiter velox). Wils. 
Swainson's Hawk. (Buteo swainsoni). (Bonap). 
Western Red-tailed Hawk. (Buteo borealis calurus). 

Cass. 

FINCH. OR SPARROW FAMILY. 

(Fringillidae.) 
Black-headed Grosbeak. (Habia melanocephala). 

Swains. 
Western Evening Grosbeak. (Coccothraustes vesper- 

tinus montanus). Ridgw. 
California Purple Finch. (Carpodacus purpureus cali- 

fornicus). Baird. 
Pine Siskin. (Spinus pinus.) Linn. 
American Goldfinch. (Spinus Tristis). Linn. 
Uregon Junco. (Junco hyemalis oregonus). Towns. 
Lazuli Bunting. (Passerina amoena). Say. 
American Crossbill. (Loxia curvirosta minor). Brehm. 
Redpoll. (Acanthis Jinaria). Linn. 
English, or European House Sparrow. (Passer do- 

mesticus). Linn. 
Intermediate White-crowned Sparrow. (Zonotrichia 

leucophrys intermedia). Ridgw. 
Gambel's White-crowned Sparrow. (Zonotrichia leu- 
cophrys gambeli). Nutt. 
Oregon Vesper Sparrow. (Poocaetes gramineus af- 

finis.) Miller. 

190 



Western Savanna Sparrow. (Ammodramus sandwich- 

ensis alaudinus). Bonap. 
Towhee, or Chewink. (Pipilo maculatus oregonus). 

Bell. 
Western Chipping Sparrow. (Spizella socialis ariz- 

onae). Coues. 
Rusty Song Sparrow. (Melospiza fasciata- guttata). 
Nutt. 

• 
GOATSUCKER FAMILY. 
(Caprimulgidae.) 
Western Nighthawk. (Chordeiles virginianus henryi). 
(Cass.) 

GULL AND TERN FAMILY. 

(Laridae.) 
California Gull. (Larus californicus). Lawr. 
Glaucus-winged Gull. (Larus glaucescens). Manm. 
Herring Gull. (Larus argentalus). Brunn. 
Ring-billed Gull. (Larus delawarensis). Ord. 
Summer, or Western Slate-colored Gull. (Larus oc- 
cidentalis). Aud. 

HERON AND BITTERN FAMILY. 
(Ardeidae.) 
Great Blue Heron. (Ardea herodias). Linn. 

HUMMINGBIRD FAMILY. 
(Trochilidae.) 
Rufous Hummingbird. (Trochilus rufus). Gmel. 

KINGFISHER FAMILY. 
(Alcedinidae.) 
Belted Kingfisher. (Ceryle alcyon). Linn. 

191 



KINGLET AND GNATCATCHER FAMILY. 

(Sylviidae.) 

Western Golden-Crowned Kinglet. (Regulus satrapa). 

Licht. 
Ruby-crowned Kinglet. (Regulus calendula). Linn. 

LARK FAMILY. 

(Alaudidae.) 
Streaked Horned Lark. (Otocoris alpestris). Linn. 
Skylark. (Alauda arvensis.) Linn. 

OWL FAMILY. 

(Bubonidae.) 
Pygmy Owl. (Glaucidium gnoma). Wagl. 
Puget Sound Screech-Owl. (Megascops asiosaturatus). 

Brewster. 
Dusky Horned Owl. (Bubo virginianus saturatus). 

Ridgw. 
Short-eared, or Marsh Owl. (Asio accipitrinus). Pall. 

SWALLOW FAMILY 
(Hirundinidae.) 
Bank Swallow\ (Clivicola riparia). Linn. 
Barn Swallow. (Hirundo erythrogaster). Bodd. 
Cliff, or Eave Swallow. (Petrochelidon lunifrons). 

Say. 
Rough-winged Swallow. (Stelgidopteryx serripennis). 

Aud. 
Tree, or White-bellied Swallow. (Tachycineta bicolor). 

Vieill. 
Violet-green Swallow. (Tachycineta thalassina). 

Swains. 
Western Purple Martin. (Progne subis hesperia). 
Brewst. 



192 



SWIFT FAMILY 

(Micropodidae.) 
Black Swift. (Cypseloides niger). Gmel. 
Vaux's Swift. (Chaetura vauxii). Towns. 

TANAGER FAMILY. 
(Tanagridae.) 
Louisiana, or Western Tanager. (Piranga ludovici- 
ana). Wils. 

THRUSH FAMILY. 

(Turdidae.) 

Western Bluebird. (Sialia mexicana occidentalis.) 

Towns. 
Western Robin. (Merula migratoria propinqua). 

Ridgw. 
Russet-backed Thrush. (Turdus ustulatus). Nutt. 
Varied Thrush, or Varied Robin. (Hesperocichla 
naevia). Gmel. 

TITMOUSE AND NUTHATCH FAMILY. 

(Paridae.) 

Oregon Chickadee. (Parus atricapillus occidentalis). 

Baird. 
Chestnut-breasted Chickadee. (Parus refescens). 

Towns. 
Red-breasted Nuthatch. (Sitta canadensis). Linn. 
Slender-billed Nuthatch. (Sitta carolinensis). Cass. 
Bush-Tit. (Psaltriparus minimus). Towns. 

TYRANT FLYCATCHER 1^ AMILY. 
(Tyrannidae.) 
Olive-sided Flycatcher. (Contopus borealis). Swains. 
Traill's Flycatcher. (Empidonax trailli). Aud. 

193 



Western Flycatcher. (Empidonax difficilis). Baird. 
Western Wood Pewee. (Contopus richardsomi). 

Swains. 
The Kingbird. (Tyrannus tyrannus). Linn. 
Arkansas, or Western Kingbird. (Tyrannus verticalis). 

Say. 

WAGTAIL OR PIPIT FAMILY. 

(Motacillidae.) 
American Pipit, or Titlark. (x\nthus pensilvanicus). 
Lath. 

AVAXWING FAMILY. 
(Ampelidae.) 
Cedar Waxwing, or Cedarbird. (Ampelis cedrorum). 
Vieill. 



WOODPECKER FAMILY. 

(Picidae.) 

Red-shafted Flicker (Colaptes cafer). Gmel. 

Northwestern Flicker. (Colaptes cafer saturatior). 
Ridgw. 

Red-breasted Sapsucker. (Sphyrapicus ruber). Gmel. 

California Woodpecker. (Melanerpes formicivorus 
bairdi). Ridgw. 

Gairdner's Woodpecker. (Dryobates pubescens g iri- 
nerii). Aud. 

Harris's Woodpecker. (Dryobates villosus harrisii). 
Aud. 

Lewis's Woodpecker. (Melanerpes torquatos). Wil- 
son. 

Pileated Woodpecker. (Ceophloeus pileatus). Linn. 

194 



WOOD WARBLER FAMILY. 

(Mniotiltidae.) 
Audubon's Warbler. (Dendroica auduboni). Towns. 
Black-throated Gray Warbler. (Dendroica nigres- 

cens). Towns. 
Lutescent Warbler. (Helminthophila celata lutes- 

cens). Ridgw. 
Macgillivray's W^arbler. (Geothlypis macgillivrayi). 

Aud. 
Myrtle Warbler. (Dendroica coronata). Linn. 
Pileolated Warbler. (Sylvania pusilla pileolata). 

Pall. 
Yellow, or Summer Warbler. (Dendroica aestiva). 

Gmel. 
Western Yellow-throat. (Geothlypis trichus occident- 

alis.) Brewst. 
Long-tailed Chat. (Icteria virens longicauda). Lawr. 

WREN AND THRASHER FAMILY. 

(Troglodytidae.) 

Parkman's, or Western House Wren. (Troglodytes 

aedon parkmanii). Aud. 
Tule Wren. (Cistothorus palustris paludicola). Baird. 
Vigors's Wren. (Thryomanes bewickii spilurus). Vig. 
Western Winter Wren. (Anorthura hiemalis pacifica). 
Baird. 

VIREO FAMILY. 
(Vireonidae.) 
Cassin's Vireo (Vireo solitarius cassinii). Xantus. 
Warbling Vireo. (Vireo gilvus). Vieill. 



195 



INDEX. 

Page 

Blackbird, Brewer's 64 

Blackbird, Red-winged 65 

Bluebird, Western 2i^ 

Bunting, Lazuli 96 

Bush-Tit 124 

Cedarbird, or Cedar Waxwing 99 

Chat, Long-tailed 106 

Chewink, Oregon, or Towhee 66 

Chickadees, The 116 

Chickadee, Chestnut-backed it8 

Chickadee, Oregon 118 

Crossbill, American 133 

Crow, The 143 

Crow, American 145 

Crow, Clark's, or Clark's Nutcracker 148 

Crow, Northwest 145 

Dove, Family 108 

Dove, Mourning, or Turtle 109 

Dipper, American, or Water Ouzel 135 

Eagle, Bald 162 

Eagle, Golden 162 

Finch, California Purple 67 

Flicker, Northwestern 41 

Flicker, Red-shafted 39 

Flycatchers, The 85 

Flycatcher, Olive-siaed 89 

Flycatcher, 1 raill's 90 

Flycatcher, Western 91 



Page 

Goldfinch, American 48 

Goldfinch, European (Imported) 172 

Grosbeak, Black-headed 97 

Grosbeak, Western Evening 129 

Gulls, The 165 

Gull, California 167 

Gull, Glaucus-winged 166 

Gull, Herring 166 

Gull, Ring-billed 167 

Gull, Western, Slate-colored, or Summer 167 

Hawks and Owls 151 

Hawk, Cooper's 157 

Hawk, Desert-Sparrow 154 

Hawk, Fish, or American Osprey 163 

Hawk, Marsh 156 

Hawk, Pigeon 155 

Hawk, Sharp-shinned 156 

Hawk, Swainson's 156 

Hawk, Western Red-tailed ' 155 

Heron, Great Blue 150 

Hummingbird, Rufous 62 

Jay, California 146 

Jay, Oregon 147 

Jay. Pinon 149 

Jay, Steller's 145 

Junco, Oregon 126 

Kingbird, The 93 

Kingbird, Arkansas, or Western 91 

Kingfisher, Belted 133 

Kinglets, The .121 

Kinglet, Western Golden-crowned 122 

Kinglet, Ruby-crowned 123 

Lark, Sky (Imported) "jd 



Page 

Lark, Streaked-Horned 78 

Lazuli Bunting 96 

Magpie, American 149 

Martin, Western Purple 60 

Meadowlark, Western 30 

Nighthawk, Western iii 

Nutcracker, Clark's, or Clark's Crow 148 

Nuthatches, The . 118 

Nuthatch, Re l-breasted 120 

Nuthatch, Slender-billed 120 

Oriole, Bullock's 85 

Osprey, American, or Fish-Hawk 163 

Ouzel, Water, or American Dipper 135 

Owls, The 157 

Owl, Dusky-Horned 161 

Owl, Puget Sound, Screech 158 

Owl, Pygmy 160 

Owl, Short-eared, or Marsh 159 

Pewee, Western Wood 88 

Pigeon, Band-tailed no 

Pipit, American, or Titlark 131 

Redpoll 133 

Robin, Varied, or Varied Thrush 127 

Robin, Western 28 

Sapsucker, Red-breasted 142 

Siskin, Pine 47 

Skylark, (Imported) yG 

Sparrow, English, or European House 45 

Sparrow, Gambel's White-crowned 2>3> 

Sparrow, Intermediate White-crowned :^^ 

Sparrow, Oregon Vesper 43 

Sparrow, Rustv Song 37 

Sparrow, Western Chipping. 42 



Page 

Sparrow, Western Savanna 44 

Starling, European (Imported) 170 

Swallows, The 50 

Swallow, Bank . . . 59 

Swallow, Barn 57 

Swallow, Cliff, or Eave 54 

Swallow, Rough-winged 60 

Swallow, Tree, or White-bellied 55 

Swallow, Violet-green 52 

Swift, Black 115 

Swift, Vaux's X 114 

Tanager, Louisiana, or Western 81 

Thrush. Black (Imported) 171 

Thrush, Russet-backed 83 

Thrush, Song (Imported) 171 

Thrush, Varied, or Varied Robin 127 

Tit, Bush 124 

Titlark, or American Pipit 131 

Towhee, Oregon, or Che wink 66 

Vireos, The 93 

Vireo, Anthony's . 94 

Vireo, Cassin's 95 

Vireo, Hutton's 94 

Vireo, Warbling 94 

Warblers, The loi 

Warbler, Audubon's 74 

Warbler, Black-throated, Gray 105 

Warbler, Eutescent 103 

Warbler, Macgillivray's 104 

Warbler, Myrtle 75 

Warbler, Pileolated 108 

Warbler, Yellow, or Summer 102 

Waxwing, Cedar, or Cedarbird 99 



Page 

Western Yellow-throat .• 80 

Winter Birds, The 125 

Woodpeckers, The 136 

Woodpecker, California 141 

Woodpecker, Gairdner's 138 

Woodpecker, Harris's : 137 

Woodpecker, Lewis's 139 

Woodpecker, Pileated , 140 

Wrens, The 70 

Wren, Parkman's, or Western House 70 

Wren, Tule 74 

Wren, Vigors's ^2 

Wren, Western Winter "jz 

Yellow-throat, Western 80 



GENERAL DESCRIPTION. 



Date 






Upper 
parts 






Under 
parts 






Si^e 






Date 






Upper 
parts 






Under 
parts 






Si^e 







PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION. 



Forehead 



Crown 



Eyemarks 



Neck 



Back 



IVings 



Rump 



Upper tail- coverts 



Bill 



Throat 



Breast 



Sides 



Underneath 



Under tail-coverts 
Tail 






LIBRARY OF C»NGRESS 




Q0Dlllt.H55T 



